Frontiers in Management Science

The Regulation of Corporate Governance Practices in Cameroon: Challenges and the Way Forward

Felix Fung Kum — 2025-09-29

The regulation of corporate governance practices in Cameroon is shaped by the country’s legal framework, including OHADA Laws and national laws promoting transparency and accountability, amidst challenges of governance quality and evolving business contexts. Key legal provisions aim to mitigate risks from ownership-control separation and enhance ethical operations, but implementation gaps and weak governance mechanisms persist. This article investigates the prospects and challenges in regulating corporate governance in Cameroon, focusing on how existing frameworks support or hinder good governance practices, and the effects on corporate performance and stakeholder trust. The main objective is to evaluate Cameroon’s corporate governance regulatory environment, identifying key issues and opportunities for reform and improvement. The study employs a qualitative methodology, including document analysis of legal texts, corporate governance codes, and relevant reports, complemented by interviews with regulatory authorities, corporate leaders, and experts. Findings reveal that while Cameroon has established important governance regulations (e.g., OHADA law, transparency laws, regulatory bodies), challenges include enforcement weaknesses, limited board diversity, underdeveloped self-regulation cultures, and inadequate integration of sustainability practices. The governance landscape is improving with reforms, increased awareness, and technological advancements, but gaps remain. The study concludes that strengthening enforcement, promoting board effectiveness, and integrating ESG criteria are critical for advancing corporate governance in Cameroon’s dynamic economic environment. It ends by recommending the need of enhancing regulatory oversight and compliance mechanisms; encouraging adoption of the Cameroon Code of Good Corporate Governance; fostering capacity building for corporate leaders; leveraging technology for transparency; and promoting stakeholder engagement to improve accountability and sustainability.

US Semiconductor Chip Manufacturing Reshoring: Regulatory, Economic, and Structural Challenges

Zijia Peng — 2025-09-29

Since the 2008 global financial crisis, successive U.S. administrations have prioritized semiconductor chip manufacturing reshoring as a core component of safeguarding global leadership, with policies such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025) and the CHIPS and Science Act driving this effort. While partial results have been achieved—including 244,000 new high-tech/manufacturing jobs announced in 2024 and semiconductor projects accounting for two-thirds of early 2025 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)—the initiative faces three core dilemmas: regulatory ambiguities, economic constraints, and structural bottlenecks. This study analyzes the motivations (addressing manufacturing hollowing-out, maintaining economic/technological power, safeguarding national security, boosting blue-collar employment), pathways (policy incentives like tax breaks/subsidies, tariff policies, legislative intervention), and outcomes of U.S. semiconductor reshoring. It draws on data from authoritative sources (e.g., Semiconductor Industry Association [SIA], OECD, Reshoring Initiative) and case studies (Intel’s Ohio fab delays, TSMC’s Arizona project setbacks) to identify key challenges: frequent policy adjustments undermining investment confidence, higher U.S. manufacturing costs (30-50% above Asian countries) due to energy/labor/raw material expenses, and structural gaps in the semiconductor value chain (reliance on Asian upstream materials, domestic high-skilled labor shortages). The study further explores the global impacts of reshoring, including the restructuring of the global semiconductor supply chain and intensified U.S.-China competition—with China’s semiconductor industry (e.g., SMIC) evolving from import dependence to independent R&D, though still lagging in advanced processes. It concludes that the U.S. must reassess its technology blockade policies, balance national security with global technological cooperation, and promote supply chain stability to ensure long-term prosperity in its semiconductor sector.

The Lightweight Path to Digital Branding for SMEs

Bo Lu — 2025-09-29

The rapid development of the digital economy has made the digital transformation of brand for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) crucial for enhancing competitiveness and achieving sustainable development. However, SMEs are severely restricted in their transformation process due to high technological barriers, substantial cost investments, and a lack of professional talent. This paper proposes a lightweight path for digital brand transformation, aiming to help SMEs break through transformation bottlenecks with strategies that are low-cost, easy to operate, and quick to show results. The study first analyzes the current situation and challenges of digital brand transformation for SMEs, and then puts forward lightweight transformation strategies, including basic brand digitalization, simple data analysis, and compliance self-inspection.

Research on the Construction and Efficacy Optimization of Intelligent Logistics Automation Technology System in Cross-Border Scenarios

Dingsong Ni — 2025-09-29

With the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce and international trade, the cross-border logistics industry is confronted with several pain points, such as fragmented multi-link processes, excessive manual intervention, and significant efficiency fluctuations. This study focuses on constructing an intelligent logistics automation technology system that covers the entire chain from “overseas procurement-international transportation-customs clearance and inspection-domestic warehousing”. The aim is to achieve unmanned logistics operations and data interconnectivity through the deep integration of intelligent hardware, digital systems, and process algorithms. A four-layer technology architecture of “perception layer-transmission layer-decision-making layer-execution layer” has been designed. Moreover, in-depth explorations have been conducted on key technologies such as intelligent classification of multi-category products, automated scheduling of cross-border multimodal transportation, and intelligent compliance verification of customs clearance and inspection. The actual business data of DongGuan Kreen Import and Export Co., Ltd. have been utilized to validate the significant efficacy of this technology system in enhancing logistics cycle, reducing labor costs, and minimizing error rates, achieving an overall efficiency improvement of over 30% across the entire chain. The research outcomes not only provide a replicable automation transformation solution for cross-border logistics enterprises but also offer theoretical and practical references for the application of intelligent logistics technology in cross-border scenarios, holding important academic and application value.

Digital Service Standard Construction and Practice Verification for Small and Medium-Sized Hotel Apartments

Han Liu — 2025-09-29

The rapid development of information technology has rendered the digital transformation of small-and-medium-sized hotel apartments crucial for enhancing competitiveness. However, the lack of unified digital service standards within the industry has led to uneven service quality. This study constructs a digital service standard framework for small-and-medium-sized hotel apartments, focusing on key aspects such as online booking, smart rooms, and security management. The feasibility and effectiveness of this framework are verified through a case study of Beijing Diman Apartment Management Co., Ltd. The results indicate that optimizing service processes and incorporating smart technologies can significantly improve booking success rates, customer satisfaction, equipment utilization rates, and service response speeds, while reducing operational costs and security risks. This study provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the digital transformation of small-and-medium-sized hotel apartments, holding significant theoretical and practical implications.

Insurance Technology and Supply Chain Finance: An Empirical Study on Dynamic Premium Algorithm for Small and Medium-Sized Micro Enterprises

Ying Nie — 2025-09-29

With the acceleration of global economic integration, the role of small and medium-sized micro enterprises (SMEs) in the supply chain has become increasingly prominent. However, under the traditional insurance model, SMEs face the dilemma of “difficult insurance purchase and slow claims settlement.” This paper proposes the integration model of “Insurance Technology + Supply Chain Finance,” aiming to address the risk management challenges of SMEs through a dynamic premium algorithm. A real-time pricing model based on enterprise operation data and supply chain risk coefficients is constructed, and blockchain technology is utilized to connect the data of upstream and downstream enterprises to achieve risk-sharing. Through an empirical analysis of 50 pilot enterprises, the results show that the dynamic premium algorithm reduces the insurance cost of SMEs by an average of 40%, significantly improving the efficiency of enterprise risk management and insurance service experience. Further industry-fit analysis reveals that the algorithm has good applicability in both manufacturing and service industries, but optimization adjustments are needed according to the risk characteristics of different industries. Finally, this paper demonstrates the specific effects and value of the dynamic premium algorithm in practical applications through three typical enterprise cases, arguing the universal significance of the “Insurance Technology + Supply Chain Finance” integration model for SME risk management and providing new ideas and practical paths for the coordinated development of the insurance industry and supply chain finance.

Conflict Management Strategies and Organizational Productivity of Ecobank Plc, Cross River State, Nigeria

Patrick Montok Igbaji — 2025-09-29

The thrust of this study was to examine conflict management strategies and organizational productivity of Ecobank Plc. Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve the objectives of this study, five research questions were raised and subsequently transformed into research hypotheses. Literature review was done according to the variables explored in the study, while the survey research design was deemed appropriate for the research. The population of the study was 108 respondents from Ecobank Plc. Cross River State, where a sample of 85 respondents were randomly selected through the Taro Yamane formula. A semi-structured questionnaire designed by the researcher was deployed as an instrument for data collection. Pearson product moment correlation analysis was the statistical technique deployed for the analysis of data with the aid of the statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 28). Findings of the study revealed that “arbitration strategy, mediation strategy, avoidance strategy, open communication strategy and compromise strategy significantly relate organizational productivity of Ecobank Plc.’’ Cross River State, Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that the management of organizations or institutions should monitor, intervene and employ the different strategies on conflicts’ matters in order to enhance organizational productivity.

Implementation Standards and Industry-Specific Adaptation of SAP-Lean Production Integration in Manufacturing: A Multi-Case Validation with Quantitative Performance Optimization

Qiang Fu — 2025-10-13

The decoupling between SAP systems and lean production (LP) has become a critical barrier to manufacturing digital transformation, leading to 15-22% overproduction rates, 20-30% delayed deliveries, and 12-18% cost wastage. To address this, this study proposes a systematic four-stage integration framework (Needs Quantification → System Configuration → Process Reengineering → Dynamic Evaluation) and industry-specific adaptation schemes for the automotive, electronics, and equipment manufacturing sectors.

Key innovations include: (1) A Lean Demand Prioritization Matrix (LDPM) integrating 17 KPIs (e.g., production plan update frequency, material arrival tolerance) with AHP-based weight assignment, improving needs analysis accuracy by 32.7% vs. traditional interviews; (2) A Real-Time Lean Rule Embedding Engine (RTLREE) that embeds JIT, kanban, and TPM rules into SAP modules, achieving 99.2% rule execution accuracy—18.5 percentage points higher than existing methods; (3) Industry-specific modules (e.g., automotive BOM auto-switching, electronics rapid changeover) with 89.5% functional reuse rate.

Validated across 32 manufacturing enterprises (16 experimental, 16 control) in China, Germany, and Japan over 18 months, the framework achieved: (1) Average overproduction rate reduction by 68.3% (from 15.2% to 4.8%, p<0.001); (2) Order delivery punctuality improvement by 19.8% (from 81.7% to 97.9%, p<0.001); (3) Production cycle shortening by 28.6% (from 42.3 days to 30.2 days, p<0.01); (4) Inventory cost reduction by 23.7% (p<0.01).

The framework has been adopted by the International Society of Lean Manufacturing (ISLM) as a global reference standard and promoted in 120+ enterprises, generating cumulative economic benefits of $142 million. Future integration of generative AI is expected to further reduce maintenance costs by 25%.

Construction of Information Health Assessment System for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Based on AI Diagnosis Model

Wanyu Li — 2025-10-13

Empirical validation across 3 representative SMEs (manufacturing, logistics, software) shows that the system identifies 83% of hidden informatization issues, and targeted optimization plans improve overall health scores by 38.2% (from 52.6 to 72.7/100) within 6 months. Specifically: (1) Lanhui Machinery’s ERP integration rate increased from 42% to 89%, reducing production cycle by 23% (p < 0.01); (2) Green Star Logistics’ data transmission latency decreased by 42%, boosting delivery efficiency by 32% (p < 0.05); (3) Zhichuang Software’s data leakage risk dropped by 82%, with project success rate rising by 22% (p < 0.01). (China SME Development Index, 2024) This study fills the gap in AI-driven dynamic assessment for SME informatization, providing a replicable framework for digital transformation. The model’s interpretability (SHAP value analysis identifies top 5 influential metrics) and scalability (adaptable to 8 industries via parameter fine-tuning) enhance its practical value for policymakers and enterprises.