Current Issue : July-September Volume : 2025 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 5 Articles
The global energy sector is rapidly changing due to decentralization, renewable energy integration, and digitalization, challenging traditional energy business models. This paper explores a startup concept for an AI-assisted regional marketplace for renewable energy, specifically suited for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, this marketplace enables efficient energy trading through real-time supply–demand matching with dynamic pricing. Decentralized energy systems, such as solar and wind power, offer benefits like enhanced energy security but also present challenges in balancing supply and demand due to volatility. This research develops and validates an AI-based pricing model to optimize regional energy consumption and incentivize efficient usage to support grid stability. Through a SWOT analysis, this study highlights the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of such a platform. Findings indicate that, with scalability, the AI-driven marketplace could significantly support the energy transition by increasing renewable energy use and therefore reducing carbon emissions. This paper presents a viable, scalable solution for SMEs aiming to participate in a resilient, sustainable, and localized energy market....
This study identifies critical success factors contributing to the digital transformation of SMEs. Despite their crucial role in the economy, limited research explores how they navigate digitalization challenges. This study addresses this gap by proposing the DASAT framework with four cyclically interrelated elements: Digital Awareness, Digital Strategy and Roadmap, Digital Adoption and Implementation, and Digital Transformation Continuous Improvement. Using a Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM) approach, we construct a hierarchical model analyzing the interconnections among key factors. The findings align with the dynamic capability framework and digital transformation theory, emphasizing digital literacy, digital inclusion, and organizational flexibility for SMEs’ successful digital transformation. This study contributes theoretically by extending the digital transformation literature with a structured capability-building framework. It provides a practical roadmap for SMEs to strengthen their competitive advantage in an increasingly digital business environment....
This study investigates the complex relationships among organizational identification, organizational self-esteem, and employee loyalty among grassroots employees working in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Guangdong Province, China. In the context of increasingly competitive business environments, understanding the psychological drivers of employee loyalty has become essential for organizational success. This research aims to explore how organizational identification influences employee loyalty in attitudinal loyalty, how it impacts organizational self-esteem, and how organizational self-esteem mediates the relationship between identification and loyalty. The study utilized a quantitative research design, employing structured surveys to collect data from 632 grassroots employees in SMEs. The data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation analysis to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings revealed that organizational identification has a strong positive effect on both attitudinal loyalty, confirming these findings make substantial contributions to the theoretical understanding of organizational behaviour, particularly in the context of SMEs among grassroots employees. By confirming and extending Social Identity Theory and Self-Esteem Theory, the study enhances the understanding of the psychological mechanisms behind employee loyalty. Furthermore, the research provides practical implications for organizational leaders and Human Resources professionals, emphasizing the importance of fostering a strong organizational identity and cultivating organizational self-esteem to enhance employee loyalty and retention....
This research builds on our earlier findings regarding the challenges SMEs, particularly in the crafts sector, face when adopting data-driven strategies. While large enterprises successfully utilize AI and data technologies, SMEs often encounter significant barriers to implementation. Building on these insights, this study identifies critical factors in the data-driven domain that can significantly enhance decision-making in German SMEs. The proposed scoring model aims to empower SMEs by enabling them to assess their data capabilities, identify weaknesses, and implement targeted improvements. Through a systematic literature review, the study highlights the most influential factors shaping datadrivenness in SMEs. Using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, we developed a refined scoring model and a chronological framework that integrate these factors to guide and improve data utilization. This research ultimately contributes to a deeper understanding of how SMEs can adopt datadriven strategies to foster innovation, optimize operations, and remain competitive in a dynamic market environment....
A long-term strategy for China’s national development is to foster the growth of “Specialized, Refined, Niche, and Innovative (SRNI)” small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, these enterprises often face significant financing constraints due to their high technological input, high human capital input, light asset characteristics, and lack of effective collateral. Supply chain finance, as an important way to combine production and financing, could provide financial services in the real economy by alleviating these constraints of SMEs and improving the quality of credit so as to revitalize supply chain funds. This paper empirically examines the relationship between supply chain finance, fintech development, and financing efficiency using a sample of 757 “SRNI” SMEs in Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares from 2013 to 2023. The findings reveal that supply chain finance significantly enhances the financing efficiency of “SRNI” SMEs. Moreover, the development of financial technology further amplifies such positive effects. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of how supply chain finance and fintech impacts the financing efficiency of SRNI SMEs and provides valuable insights for evaluating SME financing efficiency....
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