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Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 30456

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yingying Zhang-Zhang

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Guest Editor

Graduate School of International Management, International University of Japan, Niigata, Japan
Interests: emerging markets; sustainability; strategizing; innovation; culture; strategic people management

Prof. Dr. Jay Rajasekera

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Guest Editor

Institute for International Strategy, Tokyo International University, Saitama, Japan
Interests: digital innovations; entrepreneurship; AI; financial engineering; sustainability; optimization; global supply chains; big data; environment management information systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

While emerging markets are of increasing interest to scholars and practitioners, given their increasing economic power and rapidly expanding markets, the sustainable development in these markets are also of major concerns in the global economy. From a managerial perspective, how to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2030 is not only a social responsibility, but also a strategic issue for sustaining competitive advantages by the firms in emerging markets. First, emerging markets or developing countries are the ones that have the most challenges with achieving SGDs, as there are less resources. Second, for multinationals from advanced economies that are interested in the growing market potential in emerging economies, sustainable development and management is the center of attention of today’s global business. Integrating sustainability into corporate strategy as a central value is an indispensable necessity. Third, for the aspiring multinationals from emerging economies, how to take advantage of their national competitiveness to the global context and sustain them is one of the strategic challenges in this changing and dynamic global business paradigm. Sharing historical experience of economic development from established advanced economies is also welcome.

This Special Issue aims to address these sustainable management issues in relation to emerging markets’ competitive advantages: “in, to and from”. A broadly defined perspective is called for in this Special Issue in order to outline different angles of view for the sustainable competitive advantages in international business with a special focus on emerging markets. Interdisciplinary work with non-traditional schools of thoughts is especially encouraged to bring inquiry and dialogue into the field of business, management and organization. A wide array of topics are of interest in this Special Issue, with exemplary illustrations including, but not limited to:

Technological innovation and sustainable development in and from emerging markets, like digitalization, Fintech, robotics, and e-commerce
Transformation of business model and strategy innovation for sustainable competitive advantages in various sectors, both knowledge-intensive and non-knowledge-intensive industries
Green energy and corporate environmentalism strategy in the context of emerging markets
Healthcare industry, system and policies in emerging economies, especially within the context of COVID-19
Diversity and inequality reduction in relation to human resource management, like gender differences, child labor, work-life balance, stress management, reverse mentorship and talent management
Entrepreneurship in emerging markets and particular sectors like agriculture business
Effective public administration for sustainable economic development with foreign direct investment attraction and poverty improvement
Impact of education sector in sustainability
Impact of SDGs to sustainability in emerging markets

This Special Issue attempts to extend the current knowledge on competing in emerging markets and confronting business challenges from emerging economies in the dynamic global business context, with the sustainable management of competitive advantages. Both conceptual and empirical papers are welcomed from scholars, researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. A multi-faceted and multi-perspective approach of the selected papers will enable the evolving dialogue of SDGs in management in, to and from emerging markets.

Prof. Dr. Yingying Zhang-Zhang
Prof. Dr. Jay Rajasekera
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable development
competitive advantages
SDGs
emerging market
international competitiveness
international cooperation
multinationals
SMEs
gender
environment
green energy
technological innovation
healthcare
public sector effectiveness
gender
diversity
inequality
entrepreneurship
talents
digital transformation
economic development
infrastructure
debt-management
risk management
primary and tertiary education
trade blocks
border trade
WTO
e-commerce
big tech
big data and cyber security
international skill management
immigration of skilled and non-skilled workers

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 1357 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Export Potential Analysis of Vietnamese Bottled Coconut Water by Incorporating Criteria Weights of MCDM into the Gravity of Trade Model

by Nora Sharkasi, Nguyen Vo Hien Chau and Jay Rajasekera

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11780; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151511780 - 31 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1867

Abstract

Vietnam, an emerging economy, leads the Southeast Asian region in terms of the growth rate of coconut production; yet, its sustainability is questionable because Vietnam lacks a credible strategy to reap the benefits of its export potential. While the literature is rich with studies on coconut-related export competitiveness and readiness, it seems that studies focused on a single set of factors, and very few studies take Vietnam as a case study for analysis. Studies we found use aggregate data for econometric analysis. On the contrary, this study attempts to address the literature’s gaps by proposing a comprehensive view of key factors identifying the export potential of bottled coconut water. It also adds to our comprehension of how large- and small-scale manufacturers prioritize factors differently. To answer the research questions, we collect qualitative and quantitative data for analysis. We use AHP and M-CRITIC-RP methods for ranking the factors. This study also incorporates the criteria weights into the gravity of the trade model to identify export potential to target markets. Our findings can draw researchers’ and policymakers’ attention to the importance of considering how firms and manufacturers prioritize key factors in export readiness, and thereby impact export potential and target markets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

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20 pages, 1123 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Strategic People Management: A Confucian Perspective on Chinese Management

by Yingying Zhang-Zhang

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9188; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15129188 - 07 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1784

Abstract

This paper examines the strategic management of people within enterprises as a driver of sustainable growth. As strategic people management (SPM) is founded on the Eastern knowledge workers’ perspective, we integrate SPM with the Confucian perspective to analyze the factors underlying the sustainable success of Chinese management. In so doing, we review the literature on sustainability, SPM, Chinese management, and the integration of Confucian cultural values. We utilize the qualitative case research method to examine 20 successful Chinese enterprises across five sectors. The results of the case analysis reveal three types of sustainable SPM associated with Confucian values: responsible people management, paradoxical people management, and humanistic people management. We propose a conception of sustainable SPM combined with Confucianism to be relevant in the Chinese business context, where a high degree of dynamism can be seen. The findings of this study could be extended through analyses conducted in other contexts with a high level of complexity, such as emerging markets, disruptive technology, unexpected crises, or any aggregated interactions of such contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

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15 pages, 486 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stakeholders’ Engagement in the Company’s Management as a Driver of Green Competitiveness within Sustainable Development

by Oleksii Lyulyov, Olena Chygryn, Tetyana Pimonenko and Aleksy Kwilinski

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7249; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15097249 - 27 Apr 2023

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 1720

Abstract

The world’s transition to green economic growth, considering the Agenda for Sustainable Development, provokes relevant structural changes in the world market. Consequently, it boosts the business sector’s ability to incorporate green dimensions into their development policies to intensify their green competitiveness in the market. In this case, it is necessary to identify the appropriate indicators that affect a company’s green competitiveness. Thus, stakeholders and management could intensify or decline a company’s green competitiveness depending on the efficiency of communication between them. The paper aims to analyze the role of stakeholders’ engagement in the company’s management in enhancing green competitiveness. The research data were compiled from a questionnaire of 75 respondents, who represent the Ukrainian company’s management. The study applies PLS-SEM to test the hypotheses of the investigation. The empirical results allow us to conclude that stakeholders’ engagement in the company’s management positively affects the company’s green competitiveness. The most statistically significant impact on the company’s green competitiveness is experience in communication with stakeholders and managing stakeholders’ conflicts, with loading factors of 0.802 and 0.806, respectively. The findings show that to improve green competitiveness, the company’s management should develop targeted stakeholder communications and extend knowledge and awareness of stakeholder interests and values. At the same time, management should incorporate stakeholders’ suggestions and recommendations when promoting a company’s green competitiveness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

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17 pages, 367 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Economies’ Ability to Produce Diversified and Complex Goods to Meet the Global Competition: Role of Gross Value Chain, Institutional Quality, and Human Capital

by Ding Nan, Pomi Shahbaz, Shamsheer ul Haq, Muhammad Nadeem and Muhammad Imran

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6513; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15086513 - 12 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1546

Abstract

The theory of capabilities describes the need for a country to adopt different capabilities to enhance its productivity through the production of diversified and complex goods. These capabilities are not independent of the human, physical, institutional, legal systems, and gross value chain (GVC) of a country. Therefore, the current study analyzed the relationship between GVC, institutional quality, human capital development, and the economic fitness of different countries. This study used panel data from 131 countries for the period of 2007–2019. The generalized method of moments (GMM), fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS), and quantile regression showed that GVC, institutional quality, and human capital development have a big positive effect on a country’s economic health. The quantile regression results also showed that GVC, institutional quality, and skilled human capital have a positive and significant effect on the economic fitness of all three quantiles (25th, 50th, and 75th). Overall, the study concludes that greater GVC participation, political stability, effective government, good rules of law, high regulatory quality, and good human capital all enhance the country’s capabilities to produce diversified and complex goods that increase its market share in the global competitive market. Thus, the government should formulate policies in such a way that they promote participation in GVC to overcome the limitations of resource availability and poor technology. In addition, it should be ensured that effective policy implementation is in place to facilitate business without unjust means, violence, etc. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

13 pages, 1251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Sustainable Input on Regional Innovation Performance: Moderating Effects of Policy Support and Cultural Value

by Hemin Song, Zitong Zhao and Arup Varma

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12706; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141912706 - 06 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1232

Abstract

Innovation, an internal drive promoting regional sustainable economic development, has received great attention around the world. The goal of this paper is to explore the relationship between sustainable input and regional innovation performance under the moderating effects of policy support and cultural value in various regions in China. This paper uses Schwartz’s cultural dimensions and data from 31 Chinese provinces (2006–2018) to empirically examine the relationships of interest. Based on the 403 total samples, the results reveal that innovation input has a significantly positive impact on regional innovation performance, and policy support positively moderates the relationship between regional innovation input and innovation performance. Further, with regard to cultural values, embeddedness (vs. autonomy) negatively moderates the relationship between sustainable input and innovation performance, while egalitarianism (vs. hierarchy) and mastery (vs. harmony) positively moderate this relationship. We discuss the implications of our findings for policy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

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21 pages, 314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Regulation in the Development and Internationalization of Social Firms

by Miguel A. Montoya and Mauricio Cervantes

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7047; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14127047 - 09 Jun 2022

Viewed by 1263

Abstract

We seek to understand the drivers of the internationalization of emerging-market social firms. To accomplish this, we conducted a case study analysis of the Mexican multinational Farmacias Similares. The firm created a chain of pharmacies that sold generic medicines to poor consumers and included a low-cost doctor next to the pharmacy to address the lack of widespread medical insurance. It then became a multinational by expanding in Latin America. The analysis of the case reveals three insights. First, innovations addressing development challenges can be separated into two types, social and frugal, depending on whether they solve public-good or low-income problems. Second, changes in industry regulation facilitate the development of social firms and sustainable development within the country. Third, differences in regulations across countries constrain the internationalization of social innovations more than frugal innovations of emerging-market social firms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

15 pages, 1369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determinants of the Digitalization of Accounting in an Emerging Market: The Roles of Organizational Support and Job Relevance

by Wafa AlNasrallah and Farida Saleem

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6483; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14116483 - 25 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2838

Abstract

Digitalization has considerable potential to help achieve the sustainability of the planetary and human systems, including organizations. As digitalization is one of the most promising factors for transformation, there is no doubt that ICT and big data can help promote sustainability. Linking digitalization with a sustainable workplace, the purpose of this investigation is to identify the determinants of the adoption of digitalization of accounting procedures by accounting professionals in Saudi Arabia, an economy rapidly moving towards digital transformation. A holistic model based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), elaboration likelihood model (ELM), and social exchange theory (SET) is proposed and tested. The extension in TAM is proposed by integrating job relevance and organizational support as moderators. A survey method was used to collect data from 365 accounting professionals working in Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modeling and PROCESS macro were used as data analysis techniques. The findings reveal that perceived ease of use has both direct and indirect effects through perceived usefulness on intentions to use e-accounting. Both job relevance and organizational support act as moderators for perceived usefulness and intentions to use e-accounting when treated separately. However, job relevance becomes an insignificant moderator in the presence of organizational support. This finding highlights the importance of organizational support for the successful implementation of e-accounting in an organization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

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19 pages, 2990 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Sustainable Bond Issuances in the Economic Growth of the Latin American and Caribbean Countries

by Lorena Carolina Bernabé Argandoña, Salvador Cruz Rambaud and Joaquín López Pascual

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4693; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14084693 - 14 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3014

Abstract

There is beyond any doubt that Latin America is one of the most important emerging markets in the world, which has increased its importance in the last decades. In effect, the issues of green, social, and sustainability (GSS) bonds are gaining more and more importance in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) financial markets. They are specifically focused on raising funding for public expenditure programs that contribute to achieving several objectives, such as climate and environmental projects, energy efficiency, pollution prevention, sustainable agriculture, fishery and forestry, etc. The main objective of this paper is to provide a literature revision of the evolution of the issuance of GSS bonds in the LAC region and to analyze the economic growth of the countries which issue this type of bond. We will apply multiple linear regression to relate the economic growth of some countries of the LAC region with the variables proposed by the IFC Emerging Market Green Bonds Report (2019). It has been shown that the economic growth of the countries in the LAC region that are issuing GSS bonds is significantly related to the Sovereign Green Issuance (Total Planned), the ratio of Private Credit/GDP, and the Rule of Law Index. However, this research has had the limitation of the scarcity of available data in the LAC markets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

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22 pages, 336 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multinational Enterprises’ Dual Agency Role: Formal Institutions and Corporate Social Responsibility in Emerging Markets

by Maoliang Bu and Ying Liu

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 1974; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14041974 - 09 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1917

Abstract

This study systematically examines whether and how a nation’s extent of economic globalization, manifested by the presence of multinational enterprises (MNEs), and formal institutional development may jointly influence a nation’s overall corporate social responsibility (CSR) involvement across emerging markets. Drawing on institutional theory, we develop a dual agency model: on the one hand, MNEs take the role of CSR agents in demonstrating CSR practices and imposing direct influences on local firms in emerging markets; on the other hand, MNEs function as institutional agents, conducting activities of institutional entrepreneurship and channeling global institutional influences into emerging markets. Empirically, we conduct a bootstrapped test of mediation analysis across 83 developing countries. Our findings show that in the context of emerging markets, a more significant presence of MNEs in a nation positively links to its firms’ overall CSR involvement, and the nation’s formal institutional evolvement partially mediates such a positive relationship. This study ends with a conclusion and discussions on the contributions and implications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

22 pages, 2688 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Manufacturing, Exports, and Sustainable Growth: Evidence from Developing Countries

by Xi Wan, Shehla Anjum Ajaz Kazmi and Chun Yee Wong

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1646; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14031646 - 31 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4612

Abstract

Using data for 130 developing countries over a 24 year period from 1996 to 2019, this study investigates the role of manufacturing development in sustainable growth and how the contribution of the manufacturing sector to growth is affected by exports and the underlying export-oriented policies. By employing a vintage difference GMM estimation developed by Arellano and Bond (1991), we find that the manufacturing sector positively contributes to economic growth in developing countries, whereas exports (and thus, their related growth policies) lead to deindustrialization and are thus harmful to growth. In addition, we find that this export-led deindustrialization and the resulting negative growth effect might differ depending on a country’s stage of development measured in terms of the per capita income level. In particular, the growth of countries with lower income levels is more severely negatively impacted than in the case of the richer countries, which is consistent with the findings in the literature. Finally, our main results are robust under two alternative regression checks in which we take into account the potential endogeneity problem and additionally control for the share of imports in GDP in the model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

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13 pages, 254 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impacts of Social Enterprises on Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Vietnam

by Nghia Thi Thu Nguyen, Cheng-Tao Tang and Chun Yee Wong

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10864; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131910864 - 30 Sep 2021

Viewed by 2738

Abstract

This study examines whether social enterprise development improves labor market outcomes of the entire economy. Using the data of social enterprise and labor force survey in Vietnam, we conduct a regression analysis to address this question. We focus on the rapid growth period of social enterprises in Vietnam during the early 2010s. Our results suggest that, as the number of social enterprises increases, average labor earnings increase, the probabilities of being unemployed and being self-employed decrease, and average working hours increase. Since our study evaluates the effect of social enterprise development on the outcomes for the overall labor market rather than the social enterprise sector alone, it provides justification for promoting such a policy from policymakers’ point of view. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

16 pages, 426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Environmental Orientation on Proactive and Reactive Environmental Strategies: Mediating Role of Business Environmental Commitment

by Farida Saleem, Saiqa Saddiqa Qureshi and Muhammad Imran Malik

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8361; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13158361 - 27 Jul 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2806

Abstract

Although they are significant contributors to environmental concerns, emerging economies provide a very different context concerning corporate environmental behavior. The study investigates the impact of environmental orientation and business environmental commitment on proactive and reactive environmental strategies by firms in an emerging economy. Based on stakeholder perspective, organizational legitimacy concept, and natural-resource-based view, we have proposed a model where business environmental commitment is presented as an explanatory mechanism for the relationship of internal and external environmental orientation and proactive and reactive environmental strategies. A convenient sampling method was used for data collection from 152 SMEs operating in three industrial cities of Pakistan. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used as an analysis technique. Results revealed that internal environmental orientation has a more profound impact on proactive stance than the impact of external environmental orientation on reactive environmental strategies. Similarly, the business environmental commitment was also identified as an important mediating force. Our results draw important implications for theory and practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

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Review

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13 pages, 620 KiB

Open AccessReview

Life Value Assessment Methods in Emerging Markets: Evidence from China

by Liang Tan, Aochen Cao, Dongyang Qiu and Bolin Liang

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7786; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15107786 - 09 May 2023

Viewed by 1084

Abstract

The paper explores life value assessment methods in China from both the historical and modern perspectives. The historical perspective includes the death penalty ransom approach and government pricing approach, while the modern perspective contains the human capital method and willingness-to-pay method. The human capital method measures the economic value created by people and uses it as their life assessment value, and the willingness-to-pay method evaluates peoples’ life value indirectly through the trade-off between the death risk and benefit. The paper then puts forward improvement ideas for the two modern life value assessment models and proposes possible future research directions, meanwhile providing a reference for such practical issues as compensation policymaking for industrial injuries or deaths for the sustainable development of emerging countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Markets’ Competitive Advantages in Sustainable Management)

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