Articles and issues

Background. Digital technologies are increasingly a condition for participating in global value chains, yet evidence on whether digital transformation improves export outcomes for small manufacturers in emerging economies is limited. This study examined whether digital transformation capability is associated with the export performance of Vietnamese manufacturing SMEs, whether international market agility mediates this association and whether export market turbulence moderates the effect of agility. Methods. Two-wave survey data were collected between October 2025 and February 2026 from owner-managers or export managers of 412 exporting manufacturing SMEs in the Ho Chi Minh City region and the Hanoi–Hai Phong corridor. Hypotheses were tested with covariance-based structural equation modeling, bootstrapped indirect effects and a latent interaction term. Results. The measurement model showed good fit, reliability and validity. Digital transformation capability was positively related to export performance (β = 0.21, p < 0.001) and to international market agility (β = 0.48, p < 0.001). Agility mediated 45% of the total effect (indirect β = 0.17, 95% CI [0.11, 0.24]), and its association with export performance was stronger under high export market turbulence (interaction β = 0.12, p = 0.009). Conclusions. Digital transformation capability supports the export performance of manufacturing SMEs mainly by enabling faster sensing of and response to foreign market change. Managers and SME support programs should pair digital investment with routines and skills that turn market information into timely commercial decisions.

Background. Nigerian fintech firms compete intensely for software, data and product talent, and many have adopted remote or hybrid work since 2020. Evidence on whether these arrangements help African technology firms retain employees is scarce. Methods. We surveyed 486 employees of nine fintech firms headquartered in Lagos between June and August 2025 and linked their responses to HR records of resignations over the following nine months. Mixed-effects models with firm random intercepts estimated associations of work arrangement, and of the match between actual and preferred arrangement, with turnover intention and voluntary exit, adjusting for demographic and job characteristics. Results. Overall, 55.1% of employees worked hybrid, 17.7% fully remotely and 27.2% fully on-site, and 83 employees (17.1%) resigned during follow-up. Compared with on-site employees, hybrid workers reported lower turnover intention (b = −0.58, p < 0.001) and had lower odds of resigning (adjusted OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.31–0.94), whereas the lower odds among fully remote workers were not statistically significant (adjusted OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.36–1.45). Employees whose arrangement did not match their preference (29.0%) had higher odds of resigning (adjusted OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.31–3.62). Conclusions. Hybrid arrangements, and especially arrangements that match employee preferences, are associated with better retention in Nigerian fintech firms. Giving employees a say in where they work may be a low-cost retention lever in a tight talent market.

Background. Family firms are often described as reluctant to share knowledge beyond the family, yet many rely on suppliers, customers and universities to innovate. Research on open innovation in family firms has grown quickly but remains fragmented and apparently contradictory. Objective. This review synthesized evidence on the open innovation practices of family firms, their antecedents and their outcomes. Methods. Following PRISMA 2020 guidance, we searched Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection and Business Source Complete in January 2026 for peer-reviewed empirical studies published from 2006 to 2025, supplemented by citation tracking. Two reviewers independently screened records, extracted data and appraised study quality, and findings were integrated through thematic synthesis. Results. Of 1,486 records identified, 66 studies met the inclusion criteria; most were quantitative (66.7%) and conducted in Europe (57.6%). Family firms engaged less often than nonfamily firms in outbound practices such as licensing-out and searched more narrowly for external knowledge, but they formed deeper and more durable partnerships. Socioemotional wealth priorities restrained openness, whereas later-generation leadership, nonfamily managers and independent directors increased it. Of 19 studies examining outcomes, 15 reported that openness was associated with higher innovation output, often more strongly in family firms with high absorptive capacity. Conclusions. Family firms practice a selective, relationship-based form of open innovation rather than simply less of it. Future research should use longitudinal designs, distinguish inbound, outbound and coupled practices and include more firms from Asia, Africa and Latin America.