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Small business enterprises (SBEs) are a very critical element of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector especially in the underdeveloped locations of the country. SBEs not only provide employment but also support the local economy by way of their products and services. In modern times, their presence on the digital platform is becoming essential and thus, these types of studies are required to bring to the table the issues and practices from the less represented sections of the sector. This study attempts to understand the responsiveness of the SBEs in Sikkim, India, and Bhutan in terms of their frequency of digital marketing (DM) usage. This study also attempts to understand the relationship between the factors affecting the practice or adoption of DM among the SBEs of Bhutan and Sikkim, India. For this purpose, empirical data were gathered from 320 SBEs from Sikkim and Bhutan representing the various sectors as defined by the national governments of the two countries. The SBEs of Bhutan and Sikkim are not found to be very active on the front of DM. The SBEs in these two locations need to become more active in using the digital platforms and tools to promote their products and services. The industry trends and government support in the form of infrastructural development are expected to play a vital role in orienting the SBEs into the adoption of DM in a better way. This study is crucial for the MSME sector, the government, telecom services providers, and local entrepreneurs.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the results from a survey on ISO 9000 certified manufacturing companies in Saudi Arabia.

An empirical survey of 175 certified manufacturing firms in Saudi Arabia. This study is focused on the benefits achieved from ISO 9000 implementation, level of satisfaction with the standard, the anticipated steps after ISO 9000 implementation, factors influencing the choice of registration agencies and the associated problems with registration agencies.

Certified firms in Saudi Arabia have performed well in their registration process and have benefited from ISO implementation. This could be due to the high level of interest in the area of quality, as most customers request quality or a certificate to prove existence of quality products/services.

For effective implementation of the standard in other organizations, the study recommended that organizations should plan carefully, measuring internal as well as external aspects and performing cost‐effective analysis of the implementation process. Also they should use gap analysis to assess their actual abilities against ISO requirements. When this study was performed, the number of certified organizations was still small, constraining more in depth research in this area.

Adds to the body of knowledge concerning the ISO 9000 with particular interest on Saudi Arabia.

The purpose of this paper is to examine management attitudes/perceptions of Egyptian manufacturing organizations toward the implementation of ISO 9001:2000. The implementation of ISO 9001:2000 depends on how the standard is perceived by Egyptian companies themselves.

The present study is exploratory in nature and seeks to collect data about management attitudes/perceptions towards ISO 9001:2000 through a structured mail survey. Mail questionnaires were sent to 200 manufacturing companies throughout Egypt, yielding a response rate of 35 percent.

Survey results indicated that Egyptian manufacturing organizations are aware of ISO 9001:2000 and it is considered to be relevant to their organizations. The main motivators for seeking ISO certification were to improve the efficiency of the quality system and to achieve customer satisfaction. The vital benefits perceived from implementing the certificate were improved documentation and improvement in the efficiency of the quality system. However, the participants perceived top management commitment and the lack of qualified personnel to be major barriers for the effective implementation of ISO 9001:2000.

The research adds knowledge in the field of quality management within the context of developing countries and gives a particular focus on Egypt and the manufacturing sector, as it is one of the few papers available within the field of quality management in Egypt.

Purpose: This paper contains an evaluation of the results from a survey on ISO 9000 certified hotels in Egypt. This study is focused on factors influencing the choice of the registration agency; problems with registration agencies; satisfaction level with the registration agencies and the use of training and consultancy in achieving the certification. Design/methodology/approach: Postal survey was used in this study to gather the required data from a sample size of 40 certified large hotels in Egypt. The sample was drawn from a list provided by ISO 9000 certification office in Egypt. A response rate of 60 per cent was achieved. Findings: The certified hotels in Egypt performed well in their registration process and benefited from ISO implementation. They were using their registration agencies for private consultancy and it has been recommended that they should avoid using their registration agencies for private consultancy as this creates conflict of interest and constitutes a violation of ISO 62. Originality/value: Adds to the body of knowledge concerning the ISO 9000 registration agencies in the service sector with particular focus on Egypt.

Artificial intelligence and augmented reality are two key tools gaining importance in the digital era due to their wide range of applications in different fields and sectors. Industry 4.0 lays emphasis principally on the technology used to help the business remain competitive and sustainable. Sustainable development goals are another important objective of the UN which has laid responsibility for every business to support addressing the global challenges. Purpose: This chapter essentially aims to present the standpoint of artificial intelligence and augmented reality in meeting the sustainability perspective of organizations. Information about the study is gathered through secondary approaches, critically reviewing published literature, scientific reports, and statistical data accessible through business reports, and corporate websites. Further analyzed to present the perspectives of the authors in the study. Globally artificial intelligence market size is predicted to reach $190 billion by 2025, while the funding for startups doubled during the period 2011–2020 globally. The investment in artificial intelligence is going to reach $500 by 2024 resulting in substantial revenue returns. The augmented reality market size could reach $97 billion by 2028. Artificial intelligence today is increasingly used in many fields and is attracting multiple applications in many sectors such as manufacturing, retail, education, IT, and health care and has also contributed to sustainable development the same time by providing energy conservation options, optimization, and reduction of resources, minimizing wastage, offering timely assistance on maintenance schedules, practices which are enabling organizations to reach closer to sustainability and transformation.

This study identifies the costs, benefits and the satisfaction level with ISO 9000 implementation in Saudi Arabian firms. A survey of 140 ISO 9000 certified manufacturing companies was carried out. The results suggest that these manufacturing companies were satisfied with ISO 9000 as far as the benefits gained from certification and its costs were concerned. They considered the benefits of ISO 9000 certification to exceed the costs of attaining the standards, and believed that ISO 9000 contributed to organisational survival and success.

ISO certification is expected to help organisations to enhance quality and efficiency, improve communications, achieve competitive advantage and an increase in market share, reduce costs and achieve a higher stock price. This paper presents the results of a study to identify management attitudes towards ISO 9001:2000. To realise this goal, a sample consisting of 38 managing directors (MD) in Egypt was obtained. Results indicated that Egyptian organisations have a high level of understanding of the purpose of ISO certification. The main motivators behind the implementation of certified quality system in Egypt were to improve the efficiency of the quality system, and to cope with pressures from competitors/foreign partners. The principal perceived benefits of ISO 9001: 2000 for Egyptian organisations include improved documentation, improved efficiency of the quality system and more effective supplier selection.

The ISO 9000 series of standards has formalised systems for evaluating the ability of organisations to consistently design, produce and deliver quality products and services. Total quality management (TQM) is seen as a relatively new concept and a way for organisations to improve the quality of their products and services, but it may well be the key to survival and achieving competitive advantage in today’s turbulent business environment. However, there are mixed views in the literature concerning whether ISO 9000 and TQM complement or contradict each other. The primary objective of this paper is to address the competing views on both concepts in an attempt to show that both concepts complement each other and ISO 9000 should be used in association with TQM to secure organisational success.

Given the emphasis in today's environment on customer focus, stakeholders’ interests, public‐sector organisational performance and other methods of assessment are employed to address issues in the new public management and prevailing managerialism in measurement of public‐sector organisations around the world. Therefore, many public‐sector organisations have been encouraged to implement benchmarking as one way of satisfying the government's requirement that public organisations provide best‐value services. In order to achieve best‐value services in public‐sector organisations, benchmarking is considered to be a vital management tool and benchmarking has been used widely in private‐sector organisations. This paper focuses on providing a critical view of benchmarking to provide best‐value services to taxpayers and local businesses. The paper emphasises that, in order for benchmarking to be successful in public‐sector organisations, it is important to have a full commitment to continuous improvement, an ability to learn from others, and a commitment to implement improvement.