PurposeSmall- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) mainly rely on their structure and internal networks to achieve their goals and remain competitive. However, their limited internal capabilities and complex environments can hinder their stability. Thus, this study evaluated the relationships among specific factors toward fostering organizational resilience (OR) in tourism SMEs.Design/methodology/approachA multi-methodological approach was adopted to address this research study, including (1) social network analysis (SNA) to formulate the conceptual model and (2) construct validation through partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM).FindingsThe six proposed hypotheses were supported. These results suggest that addressing these variables and relationships after considering management style and people development as critical factors can foster OR in tourism SMEs.Research limitations/implicationsThe ideas that were developed were constrained to the organizational domain. Although the results apply to the Mexican context, this limitation can be offset by extending the proposal to other emergent regions or organizations. This can also increase the generalization of the results and foster improvements in the approaches applied.Practical implicationsAcademics and managers must rethink resilience as the final state generated by multiple factors. This requires reconfiguring inner organizational interactions, providing more autonomy to operative units, reinforcing business intelligence and improving feedback mechanisms.Originality/valueThis research study contrasts previous studies because it proposes that SNA be exploited to avail of the advantages it confers in designing the conceptual model. In this regard, we present new relationships to promote OR and provide new avenues in order to improve the analysis of adaptation processes.

This article adopts a systemic approach to address the problem of the operationalization of relationships between actors conducive to food self-sufficiency in urban areas. Through the use of Social Network Analysis (SNA), the literature on urban agriculture was analyzed, detecting eight key trends and topic areas. This information was used to design a generic recursive organizational structure with the identification of the key roles and functions for management and governance in the multi-level and multi-stakeholder relationships of a sustainable urban self-sufficient food production system, inspired by the principles of complexity management and organizational cybernetics. Methodologically, this is the first application that combines the exploratory capability of SNA and the recursive structure of the Viable System Model (VSM) to propose applicable organizational structures in any urban area, suggesting a new route for the study and application of systemic thinking in the development of urban agriculture schemes. However, due to the conceptual nature of this work, this study opens a discussion on how we can rethink interactions to seek continuous adaptation in food self-sufficiency, provide tools that foster inclusion, and adapt to every context to support the relevant actors and academics in urban agriculture.

PurposeIdentify some of the most relevant factors that trigger a private school's workforce to foster a sustainable competitive advantage by reinforcing the intrinsic job satisfaction and the levels of teacher self-efficacy, engagement and job performance.Design/methodology/approachSurveys were applied to private school teachers to assess their perception concerning the studied variables, data were tested at a confirmatory level using the partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM).FindingsTeachers with a high sense of self-efficacy and possessing elevated intrinsic satisfaction tend to be highly productive and results-oriented. Intrinsic job satisfaction is a key factor that influences more than extrinsic job satisfaction in the previously mentioned relationship.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the obtained results are constrained and apply to the Mexican context, we suggest that virtual limitation can be overcome by extending the study due to the proposed construct that can be applied in other regions or organizations.Practical implicationsPrincipals will need to develop mainly the intrinsic job satisfaction in the teaching staff, to improve the job and organizational performance. This should be accompanied, secondly, by factors that encourage extrinsic satisfaction such as fair pay or recognition.Originality/valueOpen up an alternative explanation, based on the evidence of this study, to the theory of social exchange, since the factor that most influences teacher’s citizenship behaviours is not extrinsic but intrinsic satisfaction. That is, it is not what the employee receives from the institution, but what the employee does or gives to the institution the source of satisfaction that will encourage greater job performance.

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This article explores and validates the integrated use of the viable system model (VSM) and the partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) approach to assess the sustainable management of RAMSAR sites carrying out economic activities. This work adopts a systems-thinking approach integrating systemic methodologies in three phases: (1) the VSM was first used to develop a conceptual model of the organisational problem; (2) PLS-PM was used to propose a construct to outline a solution, as well as to statistically validate the relationships proposed in the conceptual model; finally, (3) through the VSM, the relationships between actors were rethought in order to promote sustainable performance. The results obtained suggest that the joint use of VSM and PLS-PM is an effective approach that aids in the identification of relational and structural pathologies affecting the observed RAMSAR systems. It also proved useful to suggest that relationships can lead to the sustainable performance of the sites under study. It should be noted that the framework of systemic tools is constrained in its application to the organisational domain: assessing two RAMSAR areas in Mexico. Methodologically, this is the first application of the integrated use of VSM and PLS-PM to analyse the management and viability/sustainability of RAMSAR areas from an organisational perspective, opening a new avenue for the analysis and optimisation of management of such areas. This study provides tools to support actors and academics related to RAMSAR sites and opens up a discussion on how to rethink the organisational interactions in order to improve RAMSAR sites’ adaptive capabilities.

The objective of this paper is to estimate the operational efficiency of Mexican water utilities and identify the context variables that impact their efficiency. In particular, a bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA) and a bootstrap truncated regression analysis are combined in a two-stage research method. In the first stage, an input-oriented DEA model is used to determine bootstrap efficiency scores. Then, the corrected distribution function of the efficiency scores is used to estimate a truncated regression which is aimed to identify the significant influential context variables. Three categorical and two continuous context variables are considered in the analysis. Results show that only one context variable has a significant impact on the water utilities efficiency scores. Managerial recommendations are drawn from the analysis. It is suggested that water utilities continue or implement wastewater treatment, persist in decreasing and controlling leakage across the distribution network, and maximizing sewer coverage.

This article proposes a model based on the integration of systemic mechanisms such as the soft systems methodology, partial least squares path modelling and the viable system model as an alternative for fostering complementarity (associativity) in Small and Medium Enterprises to improve responsiveness and adaptations in the tourism sector. The systemic method was adopted as a framework for the proposal. In this regard: 1. The soft systems methodology was used to frame the problem and propose a construct for outlining a possible solution; the methodology included a questionnaire applied to 150 actors (including SME owners and managers and government officials). 2. Partial least squares path modelling was used to statistically validate the relationships in the construct. 3. Through the viable system model, the interactions between SMEs were reconsidered to recognise contextual impacts and foster complementarity. The goodness of fit of 70% obtained for the conceptual model suggests that complementarity, as an organisational form, is possible. The soft systems perspective is considered suitable because it deals with the complex nature of the problem (SME associativity). Although the results in this study apply to the Mexican context, we suggest that this potential limitation can be offset by the multi-methodological approach proposed here, allowing the model's application to all kinds of organisations. Hence, the observations in this paper are constrained to the organisational domain. This study may enable scholars and managers to improve communication channels as well as inter-organisational relationships, emphasising the increase in the responsiveness and adaptation capabilities to facilitate associativity between SMEs in the studied sector.

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