Indian Journal of Commerce and Management Studies

Blockchain technology and its importance for the growth and prosperity of Indian small and medium-sized enterprises

Prof. Ravinder Rena — 2024-05-23

Purpose: Blockchain technology (BT), since its invention, has revolutionized the business environment across the globe while the Indian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are yet to adopt this technology in a wide-spread level. In this background, the current review provides an overview of the technology and its features, successful adoption in other industries and SMEs and how Indian SMEs can gain benefits. Problem: Although the BT has been hailed as a boon for the future, there exist a few challenges as well such as energy consumption, environmental issues, and policy-level hindrances. The current study makes an attempt to identify the issues and provide possible solutions to overcome these challenges. Methodology: The current study is a narrative review that analyses the secondary data available from government reports, research articles, corporate research publications, UN and other international bodies’ reports, and so on. This narrative review article conducts an in-depth analysis of various perspectives of the variables considered for the study. Findings: The study found that the Indian SMEs, in spite of the challenges faced, can still gain a huge advantage by leveraging the technology for which the government ecosystem, political climate, global economic conditions, steady market situations, and the mindset among the SME owners and decision-makers must work cohesively. Recommendations: The
current study has provided a few policy-level recommendations for sustainable growth of the SMEs in the near future.

Innovation management among the Indian small and medium-sized enterprises focusing on artificial intelligence: Opportunities and the way forward

Mohammed Hibban — 2024-05-23

Purpose: The current study details about how artificial intelligence (AI) is applied in innovation management among Indian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is a first-of-its-kind study that delves into this research domain in Indian SMEs whereas the study provides in-depth insights into the topic undertaken. Methodology: This narrative review considers the research publications, company reports, government reports, books, research materials published by institutions, and other web pages to analyze the existing information and achieve the objectives. Findings: The current study has identified the challenges involved in AI implementation both during its adoption and its continued use in organizations in terms of human resources, ethics, technology, organizational, and economic aspects. It has also found the limitations faced during AI implementation in innovation management among SMEs elsewhere, while the study discusses the opportunities to overcome the issues in innovation management among Indian SMEs. Implications: The policymakers, governments, educational institutions, academia, and skill development centers are provided with various suggestions from the study outcomes and if implemented, AI can uplift the contributions made by Indian SMEs toward their gross domestic product. Originality: The current study is a first-of-its-kind research article that dealt with the impact of AI on the innovation management aspect among the Indian SMEs.

Sustainability in startups/small and medium-sized enterprises: The influential role of entrepreneurial leadership and innovative behavior

Hemant Bapu Jagdale — 2024-05-23

Purpose: Entrepreneurial leadership is widely identified as a crucial element for companies to flourish and raise innovation. The capability of management to impact employee attitudes and behaviors toward organizational objectives is vital for the competitiveness, growth, and survival of the organization. Implications: There is no existing research on the primary mechanisms through which leaders impact organizational processes. Hence, the current study investigates the role of entrepreneurial leadership and the innovative behavior of the employee in sustainability practices, revealing that entrepreneurial leadership will lessen work uncertainty and promote innovation. Methodology: A simple random probabilistic sampling was followed to collect the research data from target respondents using a self-administered structured questionnaire. A total of 100 responses were taken for the final analysis, which was conducted using AMOS and SPSS software. Findings: The study’s findings revealed that entrepreneurial leadership adopts an inspiring and helpful workplace environment. Moreover, the analysis of the results revealed substantial relationships between entrepreneurial leadership, innovative behavior, and sustainability practices, emphasizing the vital role of leadership and innovation in adopting sustainable organizational practices. Originality: The study findings infer that entrepreneurial leadership significantly impacts sustainability practices and the outcomes emphasize the significance of integrating sustainability practices into the fundamental strategies of startups/small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Hence, the policymakers should implement the suggestions to achieve sustainability in their startups/SMEs.