In the current competitive global marketplace, innovation is key for high-tech firms to thrive. Open innovation offers a promising approach, but its effectiveness remains unclear. Therefore, this research explored the connection between open innovation, knowledge management capability, and innovation performance within high-tech firms. We used a mediation approach to highlight the central role of knowledge management capability in the relationship between open innovation and innovation performance. We used a survey questionnaire approach to collect data from the 462 employees of high-tech firms on open innovation, knowledge management capability, and innovation performance using a convenient sampling technique. We used partial least square structural equations modeling through PLS-SEM statistics. Results indicated that open innovation has a direct, positive and significant connection with innovation performance. Similarly, the current research serves as a pioneering exploration into mediation analysis, highlighting the mediating role of knowledge management capability that influences the relationship between open innovation and innovation performance. Empirical studies offer valuable insights for leaders of high-tech firms, guiding them to identify effective knowledge management practices and determine the ideal extent of open innovation to boost innovation performance. The current study reveals novel insights into the benefits of knowledge management capability in enhancing open innovation efforts within firms. This research provides valuable implications and future research directions.

COVID-19 has presented considerable challenges to fiscal budget allocations in developing countries, significantly affecting decisions regarding number of investments in the transport sector where precise resource allocation is required. Elucidating the long-term relationship between public transport investment and economic growth might enable policymaker to effectively make a decision in regard to those budget allocation. Our paper then utilizes Thailand as a case study to analyze the effects on economic growth in a developing country context. The study employs Cointegration and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) techniques to account for long-term correlations among explanatory variables during 1991–2019. The statistical findings reveal a significantly positive correlation between transport investment and economic growth by indicating an increase of 0.937 in economic growth for every one-percent increment in transport investment (S.D. = 0.024, p < 0.05). This emphasizes the potential of expanding the transport investment to recover Thailand’s economy. Furthermore, in terms of short-term adjustments, our results indicate that transport investment can significantly mitigate the negative impact of external shocks by 0.98 percent (p < 0.05). These findings assist policymakers in better managing national budget allocations in the post-Covid-19 period, allowing them to estimate the duration of crowding-out effects induced by shocks more effectively.

The current research note is written for personnel managers and MBA students, aiming to raise awareness of the importance of work-life balance in employee management policies. In the intersection of work and personal life, the work-life balance is the equilibrium between the two; more specifically, the work-life balance explains the relationship and interaction between an individual's job and their private life. In the research note, we first introduce the concept and characteristics of work-life balance through relevant literature. We then argue the significance of incorporating work-life balance into employee management practices, as the concept of work-life balance helps managers appreciate individual differences and develop more human-oriented awareness in management. We encourage managers to adopt transformational leadership in their management, in which the concept of work-life balance should be embedded in the design and implementation of employee management policies. By giving more autonomy to the employees through work-life balance policies and practices, employees are more likely to appreciate the work and make more contributions accordingly. Practitioner points are also recommended.

The research aims to explore the degree of acceptance of digital work culture among the youth in the Emirati society within the study sample. Additionally, it aims to reveal the relationship between “gender” and “educational status” as sociodemographic factors among the youth in the study sample and their level of acceptance of digital work culture. Furthermore, the study aims to identify prospective trends in digital work culture among young individuals in Emirati society. Due to the nature of the descriptive research, it employed the “sample social survey” approach. The field study primarily utilized a quantitative tool for data collection, namely the “digital questionnaire.” This questionnaire was administered to a purposefully chosen random sample comprising young individuals actively seeking employment opportunities (unemployed individuals) or those new to the labor market. The participants fell within the age group of 15 to 35 years, totaling 184 individuals. Care was taken to ensure that this sample was representative of all youth categories in Emirati society, considering demographic factors such as gender, place of residence, and educational status. The research findings indicate that an overwhelming majority of young individuals in the study sample (97.8%) have no obstacles to accepting job opportunities that necessitate digital and technological skills. Moreover, the study uncovered a direct and statistically significant relation between “gender” and the “level of acceptance of digital work culture,” favoring females. This implies that females are more inclined to accept digital job opportunities compared to males. Additionally, the results highlighted a positive and statistically significant relation between both “educational status” and the “level of acceptance of digital work culture.” In other words, individuals with higher levels of education demonstrate a greater interest in digital job opportunities. Utilizing Step-wise Regression, the study also made predictions about the spread of “future digital work culture” in the United Arab Emirates based on the variable of “education.”

Effective small and medium enterprise (SME) leadership demands creative solutions to ensure organisations survive and thrive during the turbulent times that COVID-19 continues to bring. This paper explores how SME leaders (in micro and small organisations) prioritise and access the skills and development needed to provide effective and sustainable leadership to organisations, focusing on the role of resilience and the benefits it provides. Participants were selected through purposive and snowballing sampling. Online surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted and provided qualitative data that contributes to an understanding of the role of resilience and the view of participants as to what is needed to effectively respond to a dynamic environment. Evidence shows that SME leaders prioritise learning and development opportunities that provide demonstrable benefits throughout the organisation. Building business resilience remains a fuzzy concept; however, viewing resilience as a multi-level construct offers benefits when designing and delivering development opportunities. It has been found that networking, partnerships, and relationship building promote resilience and may offer a solution to how to embed resilience building into development opportunities that SME leaders value and wish to engage with. This article contributes by illustrating and exploring leadership development within SMEs during a period of unexpected and untested uncertainty. The pandemic caused major shock waves within business communities, and SMEs were significantly affected. The research is limited in that it is expected to be a once-in-a lifetime event, and as such conditions may not be replicable, learning opportunities for other ‘shock’ events are possible. The findings of this paper have relevance to practice in that, while the event may be one-off, shocks to the business environment are not.

The present study aimed to determine the dynamic relationship between good governance, fiscal policy, and economic growth in Oman. In the context of the current study, researchers chose a quantitative approach to answer the research questions, utilizing the latest 2023 data from the World Bank and The Global Economy databases. The data for the current study was carefully selected using variables that represent aspects of governance, fiscal policies, and economic performance. Our analysis uses Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Model. These methods help us understand these factors’ immediate and long-term impacts on Oman’s economy. The results we obtained offer fascinating insights into the country’s economic dynamics. We observe bidirectional causal relationships between the Good Governance Index (GGI) and the Regulatory Quality Index (RQI) and economic growth, while Fiscal Policy Effectiveness (FPE), Government Efficiency Index (GEI), and the Rule of Law Index (RLI) exhibit unidirectional causality towards GDP. Budget Balance (BB) shows no causal relationship with GDP, implying external factors influence it. Additionally, moderation analysis underscores the significance of digital financial inclusion in amplifying the effects of governance and fiscal policies on economic growth. These findings hold practical implications for policymakers and stakeholders in Oman. Specifically, they highlight the importance of governance, regulatory quality, and effective fiscal policies in shaping the economic landscape. To foster sustainable economic development, efforts should improve governance, enhance fiscal policy effectiveness, and promote digital financial inclusion.