IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/joiaen/v12y2023i1d10.1186_s13731-023-00284-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Enhancing competitiveness through technology transfer and product quality: the mediation and moderation effects of location and asset value

Author

Listed:
  • Patient Rambe

    (Central University of Technology, Free State)

  • Peter Khaola

    (National University of Lesotho)

Abstract

The direct effects of technology transfer and innovation on the productivity and competitiveness of economies and businesses are well established. However, research is yet to establish the explanatory variables and the boundary conditions within which these relationships exist. This study examines the extent to which product quality mediates the relationship between technology transfer and competitiveness of small-scale agricultural businesses (SSABs). Moreover, the study explores the extent to which the geographical location moderates the technology transfer–business competitiveness relationship, including whether asset value moderates the product quality–competitiveness relationship. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 400 SSAB owners and managers in the Free State and Mashonaland Central Provinces of South Africa and Zimbabwe, respectively. Of the 400 questionnaires distributed, 268 usable questionnaires (67%) were returned for analysis. The results suggest that product quality partially mediated the relationship between technology transfer and competitiveness of SSABs. The results demonstrate further that the relationship between product quality and competitiveness was moderated by asset value such that at low levels of product quality, SSABs with larger asset values became more competitive than those with smaller asset values. However, as product quality increased, SSABs with smaller asset values became increasingly competitive until the competitive advantage of those with larger asset values was eliminated. SSABs in South Africa reported higher product quality and competitiveness than those in Zimbabwe. The relationship between the location in which the SSAB was situated and competitiveness was direct, and location did not moderate the relationship between technology transfer and competitiveness. The study illuminates the critical importance of product quality for SSABs, especially those with small asset values. It also demonstrates that while technology transfer may influence the competitiveness of SSABs directly, the influence of quality products cannot be underestimated. The study is one-of-a-kind that simultaneously considers explanatory and moderated effects of technology transfer–competitiveness nexus in SSABs, in the context of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Suggested Citation

  • Patient Rambe & Peter Khaola, 2023. "Enhancing competitiveness through technology transfer and product quality: the mediation and moderation effects of location and asset value," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-23, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joiaen:v:12:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1186_s13731-023-00284-1
    DOI: 10.1186/s13731-023-00284-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s13731-023-00284-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1186/s13731-023-00284-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. George Mgendi & Mao Shiping & Cheng Xiang, 2019. "A Review of Agricultural Technology Transfer in Africa: Lessons from Japan and China Case Projects in Tanzania and Kenya," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-19, November.
    2. Hanen Kooli-Chaabane & Vincent Boly & Bernard Yannou, 2014. "Monitoring of technology transfer projects in industrial clusters," Journal of Innovation Economics, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(1), pages 73-91.
    3. Njabulo Lloyd Ntshangase & Brian Muroyiwa & Melusi Sibanda, 2018. "Farmers’ Perceptions and Factors Influencing the Adoption of No-Till Conservation Agriculture by Small-Scale Farmers in Zashuke, KwaZulu-Natal Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-16, February.
    4. Manova, Kalina & Yu, Zhihong, 2017. "Multi-product firms and product quality," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 116-137.
    5. Peter Khaola & Patient Rambe, 2020. "The effects of transformational leadership on organisational citizenship behaviour: the role of organisational justice and affective commitment," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 44(3), pages 381-398, August.
    6. L Lakhal, 2009. "Impact of quality on competitive advantage and organizational performance," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(5), pages 637-645, May.
    7. Henry, Michael & Kneller, Richard & Milner, Chris, 2009. "Trade, technology transfer and national efficiency in developing countries," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 237-254, February.
    8. Peter Khaola & Patient Rambe, 2020. "The effects of transformational leadership on organisational citizenship behaviour: the role of organisational justice and affective commitment," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 44(3), pages 381-398, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ehsan Fansuree Surin & Oswald Timothy Edward & Sayuthi Shaaran & Rohana Ngah, 2023. "Understanding Entrepreneurial Orientation based Research: A Proposed New Theoretical Framework," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 15(3), pages 23-35.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Amar Kumar Mishra & Simarjeet Singh & Rajesh Kumar Upadhyay, 2023. "Organization citizenship behaviour among indian nurses during SARS-COV-2: A direct effect moderation model," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 541-559, February.
    2. Gideon Ndubuisi & Solomon Owusu, 2021. "How important is GVC participation to export upgrading?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(10), pages 2887-2908, October.
    3. He, Zhenyu & Tang, Yuwei, 2023. "Local environmental constraints and firms’ export product quality: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    4. Sabrina Auci & Laura Castellucci & Manuela Coromaldi, 2021. "How does public spending affect technical efficiency? Some evidence from 15 European countries," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(1), pages 108-130, January.
    5. Fontagné, Lionel & Secchi, Angelo & Tomasi, Chiara, 2018. "Exporters’ product vectors across markets," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 150-180.
    6. Bloom, Nick & Manova, Kalina & Teng Sun, Stephen & Van Reenen, John & Yu, Zhihong, 2018. "Managing trade: evidence from China and the US," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 88703, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Wenjing Duan & Pedro S. Martins, 2022. "Rent sharing in China: Magnitude, heterogeneity and drivers," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(1), pages 176-219, March.
    8. Liangli Han & Houyu Zhou & Chunjie Wang, 2022. "Employees’ Belief in a Just World and Sustainable Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: The Moderating Effect of Interpersonal Intelligence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, March.
    9. Glass, Anthony J. & Kenjegalieva, Karligash & Ajayi, Victor & Adetutu, Morakinyo & Sickles, Robin C., 2016. "Relative Winners and Losers from Efficiency Spillovers in Africa with Policy Implications for Regional Integration," Working Papers 16-003, Rice University, Department of Economics.
    10. Kao, Erin Hui-Chuan & Liu, Jin-Tan, 2022. "Extensive margins of trade and firm survival," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    11. Christopoulos, Dimitris K. & McAdam, Peter, 2019. "Efficiency, Inefficiency, And The Mena Frontier," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(2), pages 489-521, March.
    12. David H. Autor & David Dorn & Gordon H. Hanson, 2016. "The China Shock: Learning from Labor-Market Adjustment to Large Changes in Trade," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 8(1), pages 205-240, October.
    13. Mohamed Ghali & Maha Ben Jaballah & Nejla Ben Arfa & Annie Sigwalt, 2022. "Analysis of factors that influence adoption of agroecological practices in viticulture," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 103(3), pages 179-209, September.
    14. Anne‐Célia Disdier & Carl Gaigné & Cristina Herghelegiu, 2023. "Do standards improve the quality of traded products?," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(4), pages 1238-1290, November.
    15. Ariel Weinberger & Luca Macedoni, 2023. "International Spillovers of Quality Regulations," Working Papers 2023-10, The George Washington University, Institute for International Economic Policy.
    16. Torres Mazzi, Caio & Foster-McGregor, Neil, 2021. "Imported intermediates, technological capabilities and exports: Evidence from Brazilian firm-level data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(1).
    17. Nicholas Bloom & Kalina Manova & John Van Reenen & Stephen Teng Sun & Zhihong Yu, 2021. "Trade and Management," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 103(3), pages 443-460, July.
    18. Michael Danquah & Bazoumana Ouattara & Peter Quartey, 2018. "Technology Transfer and National Efficiency: Does Absorptive Capacity Matter?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 30(2), pages 162-174, June.
    19. Xiao Chen & Tao Tao & Jiaxin Zhou & Helong Yu & Hongliang Guo & Hongbing Chen, 2023. "Simulation and Prediction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Beef Cattle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-14, August.
    20. Chen, Natalie & Juvenal, Luciana, 2018. "Quality and the Great Trade Collapse," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 59-76.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:joiaen:v:12:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1186_s13731-023-00284-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.