Advanced Industrial and Business Management

The Impact of Cultural Values on Brand Perception qnd Customer Loyalty in the Chinese Luxury Fashion Industry

2026-05-01T11:47:22+00:00

The Chinese luxury fashion market has emerged as one of the largest consumer markets globally, making it essential for brands to understand the cultural influences that shape consumer behaviour for effective strategic brand management. This study investigates the impact of cultural values, specifically collectivism, harmony, and ritualistic consumption, on brand perception and customer loyalty within the Chinese luxury fashion industry. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory is employed as the theoretical framework to examine how cultural values influence consumer preferences and brand engagement. The study adopts a quantitative research design, collecting primary data from 100 Chinese consumers aged 18 to 40 in Beijing through random sampling. A structured questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale was administered to measure brand perception, customer loyalty, and cultural factors. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS, incorporating reliability testing, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis to assess the relationships among the variables. The findings indicate that all three cultural dimensions significantly influence brand perception and customer loyalty, with ritualistic consumption demonstrating the strongest effect. The results suggest that luxury fashion brands that align with Chinese cultural norms, promote social harmony, and incorporate traditional rituals into their marketing strategies are more likely to foster positive brand perceptions and long-term customer loyalty. The study also emphasizes the importance of ethical research practices by ensuring data validity, reliability, and participant confidentiality. Overall, this research provides actionable insights for luxury fashion brands seeking to enhance cultural sensitivity, improve consumer engagement, and strengthen customer loyalty in the highly competitive Chinese market.

Examining the Impact of Inclusive Leadership and Human Resource Management Practices on Employee Productivity: The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety in Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises

2026-05-22T03:21:07+00:00

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are vital to Malaysia’s economy, contributing significantly to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment. However, challenges such as high turnover, skill shortages, and multicultural workforce dynamics hinder productivity. Leadership styles and Human Resource Management (HRM) practices are increasingly recognized as critical drivers of employee performance, with psychological safety serving as a potential mediating mechanism. This study investigates how inclusive leadership, workplace spirituality, green HRM, and relational Human Resource (HR) practices influence employee productivity in Malaysian SMEs, with psychological safety as a mediator. A quantitative survey approach was employed, targeting SME owners, managers, and HR practitioners. Reliability and validity tests confirmed strong internal consistency across constructs. Structural equation modeling was used to examine direct and indirect relationships among variables. Findings revealed that relational HR practices (β = 0.362, p < 0.001), workplace spirituality (β = 0.174, p < 0.001), and green HRM (β = 0.153, p < 0.001) significantly enhanced employee productivity. Psychological safety strongly predicted productivity (β = 0.634, p < 0.001) and mediated the effects of HRM practices and workplace spirituality. Interestingly, inclusive leadership showed no significant direct effect on psychological safety or productivity. The model explained 40.1% of the variance in productivity and 60.9% in psychological safety. The study highlights psychological safety as a pivotal mechanism linking HRM practices and workplace spirituality to productivity in SMEs. These insights extend leadership and HRM literature in non-Western contexts and provide practical guidance for SME leaders and policymakers to foster resilient, engaged, and productive workforces.

The Effects of Psychological Well-being and Social Support on Mental Stress: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem among University Students in Malaysia

2026-07-01T00:41:59+00:00

This study examined the effects of psychological well-being and social support on mental stress among university students in Malaysia, with self-esteem considered as a psychological mechanism in the proposed model. Mental stress has become an important issue in higher education because students often experience academic pressure, social adjustment challenges, financial concerns, and emotional demands. Drawing on Stress and Coping Theory, this research explained how internal psychological resources and external support systems might influence students’ ability to manage stress. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to university students in Malaysian higher education institutions. Convenience sampling was used because a complete sampling frame was not available. The required sample size was determined using G*Power analysis, which indicated a minimum of 222 respondents for the proposed model. The data were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS to assess the reliability, validity, and structural relationships among the constructs. This study contributed to the student mental health literature by providing a clearer understanding of the relationships among psychological well-being, social support, self-esteem, and mental stress, while offering practical guidance for universities, counsellors, and policymakers.

Emerging Trends in Entrepreneurship and Business Development in the Philippines: A Review

2026-06-13T04:44:27+00:00

This narrative review synthesizes recent peer-reviewed literature on entrepreneurship and business development in the Philippines, focusing on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that constitute the backbone of the national economy. Literature was identified through searches of Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science using keywords related to MSMEs, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, sustainability, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship education in the Philippine context. Studies published primarily between 2017 and 2025 were considered, with priority given to empirical and review articles directly relevant to the Philippine setting. Drawing on this body of literature, the review identifies four interrelated trends shaping the Philippine entrepreneurial landscape: digital transformation and technology adoption, sustainable and green entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and access to capital with particular attention to women-led enterprises, and entrepreneurship education as a driver of entrepreneurial intention. The review highlights persistent structural barriers such as infrastructure gaps, limited digital literacy, and constrained access to formal financing, while also pointing to opportunities created by government programs, fintech innovation, and university-based entrepreneurship initiatives. The synthesis is supported by four summary tables and one illustrative figure. The review concludes with policy and practice implications for strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of Philippine MSMEs.

Global Business Strategy in India: Market Entry, Competitive Dynamics, and Institutional Adaptation

2026-06-16T12:12:23+00:00

India has emerged as one of the most strategically significant destinations for global business, presenting multinational enterprises with a unique confluence of high-growth potential, institutional complexity, and socio-cultural heterogeneity. This systematic literature review synthesises extant scholarship on global business strategy in India, examining how multinational corporations navigate market entry modes, competitive dynamics, institutional voids, and sustainability imperatives within one of the world’s largest and most diverse economies. Following a structured database search and screening protocol we identify a final sample of 40 peer-reviewed sources, comprising 16 empirical and contextual studies published between 2010 and 2024 that directly examine multinational enterprise (MNE) strategy in India, and 24 foundational works in international business and institutional economics whose original contributions, though several predate 2010, remain the standard reference points for the theoretical frameworks applied throughout, organised into four principal thematic clusters: (1) market entry and ownership configurations, (2) institutional environment and regulatory adaptation, (3) competitive strategy and innovation management, and (4) sustainable and responsible business practices. Our synthesis reveals that successful international business strategy in India depends critically on institutional ambidexterity, localisation of value chains, and strategic partnerships that bridge formal and informal institutional gaps. We highlight a specific gap left open by prior single-theme reviews, the absence of any synthesis that integrates market entry, institutional adaptation, competitive strategy, and sustainability within a single contemporary account of India, and address it directly. The review contributes to international business theory by contextualising established frameworks within the Indian setting and proposes an integrative framework, detailed in Section 6, that explains how market entry, institutional adaptation, innovation strategy, and sustainability function as interdependent dimensions of MNE strategy in emerging markets.