Research on the impact of knowledge sharing on risk control of inclusive finance in rural areas during the post-COVID-19 era

Knowledge integration for resilience among multinational SMEs amid the COVID-19: from the view of global digital platforms

Purpose

Multinational small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly participating in cross-border digital platforms – especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, knowledge integration (KI) has become more and more important. In fact, it has been deemed by many as the key to organizational resilience. Given this burgeoning phenomenon, this study aims to explore a path for improving the resilience of multinational SMEs. Through this process, this study also finds a relationship between the KI processes associated with adopting global digital platforms and the resiliency of local–global businesses. Hence, in part, this paper also explores the effectiveness of all these mechanisms.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used the stepwise regression method in Stata 16.0 to analyze the direct effects of both horizontal and vertical KI processes on the resilience of local–global businesses. Additionally, t-tests were also used to compare the differences in coefficients between the mechanisms. The sample analyzed comprised data on multinational manufacturing SMEs in the Yangtze River Delta region of China who are using global digital platforms.

Findings

The KI processes of these firms, both horizontal and vertical, positively correlate to resilience. Horizontal KI processes more efficiently increase the resilience of global businesses, whereas vertical processes more efficiently increase the resilience of local businesses.

Originality/value

First, this study provides insights into how multinational SMEs can improve their resilience in a crisis. In addition to adding to the knowledge of KI processes, this expands the KM literature on pandemics. Second, by creating two KI processes based on global digital platforms and discussing their influence on resilience, this research deepens the understanding of affordance in the KM literature. Third, focusing on the KI research stream, the results shed light on how KI processes might occur and how firms develop their KI processes.

Knowledge ecosystem of financial markets: a new perspective on alleviating the supply-demand contradiction of the rural finance in the post-COVID-19 era

Purpose

This paper aims to establish a systematic cognition to alleviate the supply–demand contradiction in rural financial markets from an integrated perspective of knowledge management and proposes the concept of rural financial knowledge ecosystem (RFKE) to encourage multifaceted solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors qualitatively describe the process that the knowledge management dilemmas cause the supply–demand contradiction in the rural finance and further summarize a systematic methodology from three dimensions: the knowledge subject, the knowledge environment and the knowledge ecology.

Findings

The authors list four types of knowledge management dilemmas leading to the supply–demand contradiction in the rural finance, i.e. the weak knowledge sharing, the poor knowledge flow, the slow knowledge updating and the imperfect knowledge environment. Meanwhile, the RFKE model consisting of the ecological subject, the ecological environment and the ecological regulation is also presented.

Research limitations/implications

The role of knowledge management in improving the allocation of financial resources to various rural financial market participants (government, rural financial institutions, farmers, agricultural enterprises, etc.).

Originality/value

The authors creatively give the RFKE model, which complements and enriches the theory of knowledge management. Meanwhile, relevant management practices are urgently needed under the macro circumstance of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rural revitalization in China.

The Effects of Health Crisis on Economic Growth, Health and Movement of Population

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis, which was triggered in 2019 with oscillating evolution in 2020 and 2021, was a factor that has had dramatic effects on the economic growth of countries worldwide. In the context of the pandemic crisis, population health has deteriorated; education and economic activity in all the countries around the world have been affected. The main purpose of this paper is to highlight the special situations that humanity is experiencing as a result of the unprecedented effects that the COVID-19 crisis is having on the socioeconomic evolution. Specific statistical econometric methods (such as analysis of linear correlations, multiple linear regression, analysis based on dynamics indicators, and spectral analysis, comparability based on indices) were applied to highlight the evolution and future prospects of the COVID-19 virus worldwide. The COVID-19 crisis has generated another major issue for mankind, along with global warming and the energy transition, namely, population health. For this reason, in this study, we focused on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on population health in a broader context; the sustained growth of populations in developing countries and aging populations in developed economies.

Knowledge management in turbulent times: time-based scenario analysis of vaccinations against COVID-19

Purpose

This paper aims to estimate the delay or timely effects of the national vaccination strategy for COVID-19 on Italian gross domestic product (GDP). By adopting a knowledge management lens, the study highlights the importance of “time” for Italian recovery. Indeed, recovering an adequate growth rate is crucial for the future of employment, well-being and management of Italian public debt.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies an epidemiological model of a universal access vaccination programme against COVID-19. The economic model is based on the time-shift of available quarterly projections deriving from the expected delay or acceleration of the national vaccination plan against COVID-19.

Findings

The basic concept underlying the scenario analysis is that the sustainability of the expected recovery of the Italian economy due to the COVID-19 shock, and consequently the growth of the GDP, is time-dependent on the rollout of the national vaccination plan.

Research limitations/implications

A delay in the vaccination campaign could have a twofold negative impact on the growth of the Italian gross product: it reduces the quarterly growth over the previous year in the short term and it delays the quarterly upwards trend over the next two years. Policymakers and practitioners are called to promptly face new dynamic scenarios due to public and economic policies to fight the COVID-19 crisis.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt of research that focuses attention on the synchrony between the economic time necessary for recovery and the real-time necessary to achieve vaccination coverage for the restart of production activities.