This study examines the determinants of firm performance for women entrepreneurs in the context of an emerging economy affected by a turbulent political and socio-cultural environment. The study draws from the resource-based and institutional-based views embedded in the genderaware 5M (money, management, market, macro/meso environments, and motherhood) model. A generalized structural equation model is used to analyze data from Egypt, the setting for this study. The study finds a positive relationship between women entrepreneurs' human capital and firm performance. However, no detectable relationship emerges between social capital and firm performance or between women's gender-related personal problems and firm performance. The findings suggest new boundary conditions in the domain of female entrepreneurship in a hostile environment, with important implications for practice and research.

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PurposeThis study aims to develop a standardised instrument to measure the impact of lean thinking on supply chain value. This tool can be used to examine supply chain readiness and thus enhance overall value. It can also observe the potential role of customers, competitors and suppliers in increasing supply chain performance.Design/methodology/approachA survey of previous studies is undertaken in the Egyptian industrial sector. The study also uses a questionnaire provided across all managerial levels of Egyptian firms. This questionnaire is divided into two main sections: the first section is considered to be about lean thinking stages for waste elimination, namely muri, mura and muda, while the second section relates to the value creation dimensions.FindingsThe developed instrument accesses and analyses different types of lean thinking for identifying lean degree in supply chains. Consequently, it could lead to enhancing value creation in supply chains. This explorative study also indicates that the Egyptian industrial sector is willing to go lean.Research limitations/implicationsSome limitations exist in this study. First, the survey was conducted on the Egyptian industrial sector. The applicability of the proposed scale should thus be further tested in different countries and service mixtures.Practical implicationsInternal resistance is more of a barrier than external (customers, suppliers or competitors) resistance to lean thinking. Thus, organisations should focus first on internal (functional) integration and then move on to interorganisational integration. Further, people are more critical than technology in implementing lean thinking.Originality/valueThere is little empirical research on the implementation of lean thinking. Practitioners and researchers should find value in this unique instrument.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide guidance for the management of supply chains in order to increase the likelihood of lean thinking being generally adopted for the purposes of value creation, and to examine the potential role of the customer in improving supply chain performance. This study aims to address the impact of lean thinking when it is used in supply chains, then to address the relevant factors needed to enhance the entire process of chain value creation.Design/methodology/approachA survey of extant studies in the Egyptian industrial sector is undertaken here, involving a questionnaire which was distributed to all managerial levels in all departments of a number of companies. This questionnaire is divided to two main sections. The first section considers the question of value creation, while the second is related to lean thinking.FindingsThe model which is presented here is intended to examine the nature of the relationship between lean thinking and value creation in supply chains. Consequently, it could help to enhance customer satisfaction, increase internal‐customer performance and provide innovative products.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on a sample of relatively limited geographical scope (in Egypt) and the duration of the survey is limited to one year. Future research could expand the geographical coverage to other parts of the world over a longer duration.Practical implicationsInternal resistance is more of a barrier than external (customer or supplier) resistance to lean thinking. Thus, organizations should focus first on internal (functional) integration, and then move on to inter‐organizational integration. Furthermore, people are often critical of the role of technology in implementing lean thinking.Originality/valueLittle empirical research has previously been carried out into the implementation of lean thinking. Practitioners and researchers should find value in this unique comparative study.

PurposeThis research aims to provide guidance for management of green service supply chains to improve the likelihood and extent of innovation and joint productivity performance for value creation, with regard to coupling the potential role of the customer to increase supply chains performance. It is the purpose of this study to address the impact of green innovation privileged on service supply chains, then to address the prerequisite factors for enhancing the entire chain value creation.Design/methodology/approachA survey of extant research was undertaken for Egyptian hotels. It involved one type of questionnaire, provided across all managerial levels: top, senior, and executive managers. This questionnaire is divided into four main sections: the first section considers value creation, since the second section is related to trust; the third section is related to sharing knowledge; and the latest section is related to joint productivity.FindingsThe paper finds that it is possible to assist managers in thinking about adding value for supply chains.Research limitations/implicationsThe study period interval in data collection may have influenced the variance in responses and therefore should be considered a limitation.Practical implicationsThe ability to customize the simulator's parameters to represent value creation makes it a powerful tool for managers when deciding to rely on service supply chain.Originality/valueThis paper presents main elements required for enhancing value creation for all supply chain parties.

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Purpose – This study aims to develop a standardized instrument to measure open innovation and trust. The instrument is designed to examine the willingness of those involved in supply chains (SCs) to apply open innovation. It may also be used to observe the potential role of customers, competitors and suppliers in improving the performance of SCs. Design/methodology/approach – This survey of the extant studies of Multinational Automobiles Assembly lines in Egypt involved a questionnaire, which was provided across all grades at the middle managerial level. This questionnaire was divided into two main sections. The first section was concerned with elements of open innovation such as innovation, shared values and shared knowledge. The second section was focused on interrelated types of organizational and extra-organizational trust. Findings – The developed instrument was designed to access and analyze the different types of trust required for the optimal application of open innovation. Its purpose was to enhance customer satisfaction, and to help to create better internal-customer performance and the provision of innovative products. This explorative study indicated that Multinational Automobile Assembly lines in Egypt are willing to apply open innovation methods to improve their performance. Research limitations/implications – The study had a number of limitations. As the survey was conducted entirely on Multinational Automobile Assembly lines in Egypt, the applicability of the proposed scale will need to be tested further on different countries and types of industry. Originality/value – There is little empirical research about implementation of open innovation. Practitioners and researchers should find value in this unique instrument tool.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between balanced scorecard (BSC) attributes and quality performance and the possible moderating effect of quality performance on the relationship between BSC and business performance. The positive findings from the multinational pharmaceutical organisations in Egypt may help the national pharmaceutical companies to improve their performance when incorporating the same tool (BSC) in their quality management system. Design/methodology/approach This research employs a quantitative approach to conduct a survey, and empirical data were drawn from 28 multinational pharmaceutical organisations in Egypt, 125 correct questionnaires were used for further analysis, and the research model was tested using the structural equation modelling technique by analysis of moment structures software. Findings The findings of the empirical research reveal that the BSC attributes significantly and positively relate to quality performance where strategy translated to operations has the strongest relationship, providing feedback/learning and communication have a moderate relationship, whereas alignment relation is negligible in the presence of other attributes. Additionally, BSC attributes have a significant positive relationship with business performance directly and indirectly and quality performance is the moderator. Also, the research suggests that the quality performance has a significant and positive relationship with business performance. Research limitations/implications The overall research implication is that the BSC certainly acts as a ground foundation for consolidating the quality management system. The BSC practices presented in this research emphasise that this tool is not just an integration of financial and non-financial metrics that measure performance; rather, it is a performance management system that reinforces the quality system and helps to harmonise the strategy and goals that leads to improvement in the performance levels. Practical implications The study shows that BSC practices support the organisational quality/business performances. Therefore, managers must develop and continuously refine their strategies, allocate sufficient resources for achieving targets of strategic measures, in order to achieve superior business performance. Originality/value Several studies approached the effect of some of BSC attributes on quality performance; yet, this research considers the association between the four attributes collectively with quality/business performance. Additionally, no previous research has comprehensively studied the moderating effects of quality performance on the relation between BSC and business performance, especially in pharmaceutical companies in Egypt.