International Journal of Management and Marketing Intelligence

The Role of Government Regulatory and Tax Policies in Shaping SME Performance in the UAE

2026-08-12T07:31:01+00:00

Government-related challenges continue to be a major obstacle to the sustainability and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in emerging economies such as the United Arab Emirates. This study aimed to examine the impact of government challenges on SME performance by investigating the effects of government regulation challenges and tax policy challenges. A quantitative research approach was adopted using data collected from 658 owners, shareholders, chief executive officers, directors, and senior managers of SMEs operating in the UAE. The proposed research model was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS to assess both the measurement and structural models and test the proposed hypotheses. The findings revealed that government regulation challenges and tax policy challenges have significant negative effects on SME performance. The results highlight the importance of establishing a supportive regulatory and taxation environment to enhance SME competitiveness and long-term sustainability. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on SME performance by providing empirical evidence on the influence of government-related challenges within the UAE context.

Consumer Management of Digital Subscription Portfolios: A Systematic Literature Review

2026-08-27T09:46:17+00:00

This study systematically reviews how consumers manage digital subscription portfolios across four interrelated dimensions: accumulation, evaluation, strain, and adjustment. It aims to integrate fragmented research on multihoming, bundling, switching, retention, churn, sharing, access-tier transitions, and other subscription-management behaviors within a broader portfolio perspective. The study employs systematic literature review methodology. A two-phase Scopus search was conducted using predefined search strings and eligibility criteria covering consumer-facing digital subscription services. Following duplicate removal, title-and-abstract screening, and full-text assessment, 13 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2026 were included. The studies were systematically coded according to their characteristics, theoretical perspectives, behavioral evidence, portfolio mechanisms, consumer decisions, and their relevance to accumulation, evaluation, strain, and adjustment. The evidence was synthesized through descriptive mapping and qualitative cross-study comparison. The review shows that digital subscription management extends beyond isolated decisions such as switching, retention or churn. Consumers may simultaneously accumulate, evaluate, retain, replace, share, or otherwise reconfigure subscriptions. Evaluation and adjustment are the most extensively represented dimensions, while strain remains comparatively underdeveloped and fragmented across affordability, switching and lock-in frictions, fragmentation, privacy, coordination, and management-related burdens. The evidence also indicates substantial overlap among the four dimensions but does not support a fixed sequential or causal Accumulation–Evaluation–Strain–Adjustment process. Methodologically, the literature relies largely on intentions, stated or hypothetical choices, self-reported configurations, and analytical or predictive models rather than directly observed portfolio behavior. This review contributes by shifting the unit of analysis from isolated subscription decisions toward a digital subscription portfolio perspective. It integrates previously separate research streams through a four-dimensional organizing framework while preserving distinctions among different mechanisms, decisions, and evidence types. The review also identifies portfolio strain, longitudinal behavioral evidence, cross-market generalizability, and integrative portfolio-level modeling as important priorities for future research.

Building the Workforce Behind the Wheels: HR Practices in the Automotive Dealership Sector

2026-08-28T05:39:06+00:00

The automotive dealership sector is a people-intensive industry in which organizational performance depends not only on vehicles, technology, sales and customer service, but also on the effectiveness of its workforce. Human Resource Management (HRM) therefore plays a critical role in attracting suitable talent, maintaining employee information, supporting workforce administration and creating a positive work environment. This article examines important HR practices relevant to the automotive dealership sector, with emphasis on recruitment and selection, digital talent sourcing, resume screening, interview coordination, onboarding, employee documentation, attendance administration, HR technology, campus recruitment, reference verification and employee engagement. The discussion is based on HR activities documented across four fortnightly organizational-training reports and is presented in an analytical rather than personal-experience format. The article highlights how people management, structured processes, digital tools and accurate HR data work together to support effective workforce management.