Journal of Asian Business Strategy

Ambidextrous leadership, innovativeness and sustainable performance of micro-finance firms in Kenya

Beatrice Jepkemboi Bor, Andrew Kimwolo, Peter Nderitu Githaiga — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This paper empirically examines the influence of ambidextrous leadership on the sustainable performance of microfinance institutions in Kenya and the mediating role of innovativeness. The study adopted an explanatory research design incorporating cross-sectional and correlational methodologies. Data was collected from a sample of 215 branch managers from both deposit-taking and credit-only institutions in Kenya through structured questionnaires. Validity and reliability were ensured using expert review, factor analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha. The hypotheses were tested using Hayes model 4, with firm size and age as control variables. The results revealed that ambidextrous leadership had a positive and statistically significant direct effect on sustainable performance. Moreover, innovativeness significantly mediated this relationship, indicating that ambidextrous leaders enhance sustainability partly by fostering innovation. While firm age positively influenced performance, firm size had no significant effect. These findings demonstrate that leadership that balances exploration and exploitation contributes to long-term sustainability, particularly when it enhances organizational innovativeness. This study advances empirical understanding in microfinance contexts and offers actionable insights for managers and policymakers. MFI leaders should invest in innovation-driven practices to strengthen performance outcomes, while regulatory agencies and industry associations should support capacity-building and innovation ecosystems that enable adaptive leadership and long-term institutional sustainability.

Blockchain technology in the hospitality sector: Exploring opportunities and challenges in Bangladeshi hotels

Farooq Hossan, Md. Touhidul Islam, Mohammad Kamrul Hasan — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Blockchain technology creates a good opportunity with different challenges that can be applied in the hospitality industry. The vital question is how blockchain technology can be effectively integrated into Bangladeshi hotel operations to enhance efficiency, security, and customer satisfaction while addressing adoption challenges and opportunities. While previous research highlights blockchain’s potential to transform hospitality operations, most studies are conceptual or focused on developed nations, revealing a need for empirical research that addresses the unique challenges and opportunities in Bangladeshi hotel operations. This study employs a qualitative approach, utilizing secondary data from literature and industry reports, along with expert interviews, and applies thematic analysis to explore blockchain adoption in Bangladeshi hotels. This study reveals that blockchain technology adoption in Bangladesh’s hospitality sector is at a nascent stage, primarily due to low awareness, infrastructural deficiencies, high costs, and a lack of skilled personnel, despite its recognized potential to enhance data security, operational efficiency, transparency, and guest experiences. The findings underscore the urgent need for strategic interventions such as capacity building, regulatory support, and pilot projects to bridge the technological gap, highlighting blockchain's transformative significance for achieving smarter, more resilient hotel operations in Bangladesh, aligned with national development goals like Vision 2041 and the growing demand for digital innovation in tourism.

Effect of human capital development on agribusiness performance among smallholder rice farmers in Ogun State

Aminu Nassir Brimah, Ismaila Yusuf, Ayobami Paul Abolade — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Human capital development is critical for enhancing agribusiness performance, particularly in developing economies where agriculture is a key component of economic activity. Despite numerous capacity-building initiatives aimed at supporting agribusiness growth, agribusinesses still struggle with inadequate skills, training, and continuous learning, which hinder employment generation. This study examines the effect of human capital development on agribusiness performance in Ogun State. A quantitative research method was adopted, utilizing a survey design with a population of 37,200 agribusiness farmers. A sample size of 380 was selected using probability sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), and regression analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses. The results revealed a positive, significant relationship between human capital development and agribusiness employment generation, with an R² value of 0.26 indicating a moderate effect on agribusiness performance. The findings establish that continuous learning, adequate skill acquisition programs, and effective training collaborations will lead to employment generation. The study concluded that employment generation in agribusiness is possible through investment in continuous learning, skill acquisition, and training. The study recommended that agribusiness stakeholders should collaborate to implement specialized training programs that promote modern agribusiness practices, thereby enhancing employment generation and sustainability.

The fluctuation of exchange rate and its effect on commercial bank performance

Sanaurahman Fazli, Ajmal Arian — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0600

The present study examines the effect of exchange rate fluctuation and bank size on the financial performance of top commercial banks of Afghanistan (Azizi Bank, Afghan United Bank, Afghanistan International Bank, Islamic Bank of Afghanistan) for the period from the first quarter of 2016 to the fourth quarter of 2020, where Return on Equity (ROE) is the most important indicator of measuring performance. Using panel data regression estimates spanning across four banking institutions, the evidence reveals that bank size, in the form of the natural logarithm of total assets, exerts a significant and statistically positive impact on ROE, whereas exchange rate fluctuation exhibits a statistically insignificant but positive relationship with profitability. Sufficient diagnostic checks validate the integrity and consistency of the model. These results indicate that bank size is a more fundamental determinant than exchange rate fluctuation with respect to profitability in the banking sector of Afghanistan. The study emphasizes the importance of diversification and expansion strategies in financial institutions in the process of building them into robust and resilient institutions against the influence of a poor economic environment. The conclusions here carry high policy relevance for policymakers and bank chief executives who seek to promote financial stability and sustainable development within Afghanistan's nascent financial sector.