bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Merging task‐technology fit and technology acceptance models to assess guest empowerment technology usage in hotels
Authors: Schrier Thomas , Erdem Mehmet , Brewer Pearl
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that affect the usage of guest empowerment technologies (GET) with a specific focus on in‐room entertainment technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used structural equation modeling to evaluate the application of task‐technology fit (TTF) and technology acceptance models (TAMs) in reference to entertainment GETs.

Findings

This paper confirmed that the most popular forms of entertainment GET were in‐room movies and on‐demand services. Most importantly, the analysis of the data revealed that a user's individual experiential characteristics have a significant negative relationship with fit of GET while the technology and task characteristics have a significant positive relationship with fit of GET.

Research limitations/implications

This paper makes a contribution to the current body of literature as it is among the first to utilize a hybrid TTF/TAM in the hotel self‐service environment. As such, it can be utilized by future researchers as a foundation for conducting similar research.

Originality/value

This paper is of value as it is the first academic paper to investigate a variety of forms of entertainment‐based GET. These types of technologies which combine the functionality of self‐service devices while taking into account the user's experience during the design process are in constant and growing demand. As such, technology developers as well as hospitality practitioners will need to rely more and more on this type of research in the future in order to provide consistent levels of quality guest experiences.
Top issues in PCI DSS compliance in hotels: an exploratory study
Authors: Berezina Katerina
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the main barriers and key issues that the hotel industry professionals face during the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) compliance process. This paper will help to understand weaknesses and gaps in the PCI compliance process within the hotel industry that will provide a foundation to develop strategies and methods to address those issues in the future.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents an exploratory study using a two‐stage design. The first stage of the study was designed utilizing the Delphi technique to identify the issues that take place in the PCI compliance process in hotels. After analyzing the results of the first stage of the study, a list of PCI issues was compiled and incorporated in the web hosted questionnaire. In total, 30 hotel executives participated in the second stage of the study providing their evaluation of the importance of the identified PCI compliance issues.

Findings

A list of 20 PCI compliance issues that hotel executives face during the process was compiled as an outcome of the first stage of the study. The second stage of the study showed high‐financial cost of implementing and maintaining, lack of qualified staff, inadequate staff training, ambiguous terms in PCI DSS language, and lack of vendors' support and compliance to be the top five issues in PCI compliance in hotels.

Originality/value

The paper provides a useful insight into the issues that take place in the hotel industry during the PCI compliance process. This field has not been studied well in the literature. This paper presents the problems in PCI compliance that need to be addressed in order to make the process more efficient and effective.
Harness the power of viral marketing in hotel industry: a network discount strategy
Authors: Xiong Lina , Hu Clark
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the pricing strategy for viral marketing in the context of the hotel industry and propose three typical price‐network size schedules to be tested. The paper further proposes controlled experiments in hotel industry context to examine the performance of those schedules.

Design/methodology/approach

A simulated hotel booking web site with basic reservation functions will be constructed. Participants should be randomly drawn and asked to encourage their friends from social networks to book with the participant to achieve a better price. Each participant will be given a special promotion code embedded with different pricing information. The number of customers attracted, total revenue and time to achieve a sell‐out was collected after the experiments.

Findings

These were the expected performance differences associated with different network pricing strategies in the viral marketing campaigns.

Research limitations/implications

Since participants do not need to pay for the booking, it is difficult to control their intentions. Also, in the quantity discount scenario, individual preference may not be met.

Practical implications

First, this paper proposed the possible pricing strategy to promote the effectiveness of viral marketing in hotel industry. Second, by initiating business with customers directly through viral marketing, hotels can have more control over the inventory and product prices.

Originality/value

Through a better understanding in viral marketing from the perspective of network discount strategies, the marketing opportunities enabled by social networks can be extended. This paper suggests that employing a price‐network size schedule that offers deduction in price as network size increases may be an effective tool in attracting potential customers to make purchases in a timely manner. This paper further suggests experiments to test typical pricing schedules that could be utilized in practices. The proposed experiments can provide a deeper insight into the implementation of viral marketing for hotel managers.
Embracing broadscale applications of biometric technologies in hospitality and tourism
Authors: Mills Juline E. , Meyers Matthew , Byun Sookeun
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review viable biometric technologies and examine their applicability in the hospitality and tourism businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the different types of biometrics in the market with their advantages and disadvantages are reviewed, followed by a discussion of current applications within the hospitality and tourism sector.

Findings

Potential business impacts of biometrics are identified such as increased consumer convenience, operational efficiency, and security. Meanwhile, despite its great benefits, consumers' privacy concerns that are raised during biometric data collection and management processes may keep the technology from realizing its full potential.

Research limitations/implications

The paper only presents a glimpse of what may be done with the technology, as the potential extent of its usage is bound only by management's imagination while the possibilities that the technology brings to industry may be numerous.

Practical implications

Hospitality and tourism companies must have clear goals and logical approaches for usage and implementation of biometric technologies. They also need to be acutely aware of any privacy, guest perceptions, attitude towards, and trust factors that may surround the usage of biometric technologies. Moreover, corporate responsibility and ethical usage of the information obtained from biometrics may influence guest willingness to use the technology.

Originality/value

The paper has value in that there has been a lack of research on the impact of biometrics on the service industry, as well as user concerns towards the technology, rather than system development.
China's technological capability and Northeast Asian integration in electronics industry, 1974‐2000
Authors: Li Ning
Published: October 2010

Purpose

This study investigates the evolutionary pattern of China's electronics industry and China's industrial integration into the Northeast Asian region from a historical perspective. The purpose is to shed some light on the catch‐up path of China's technological capabilities using some empirical evidence covering the period of 1974‐2000.

Design/methodology/approach

Market share and the Finger‐Kreinin similarity index (FKSI) are used as measures to trace the path of catch‐up from both quantitative and structural perspectives and evidence is provided at the sectoral level. The Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) classification systems is adopted and FKSI values are derived from international trade data at both four‐digit SITC and sectoral levels.

Findings

First, the take‐off points toward rapid progress of China's technological capability in different sectors happened not concurrently but in a sequentially manner. Second, as to structural evolution, the process of China's integration into the world market and the Northeast Asian region started in 1978 and the extent of integration has become higher and higher ever since. Until late 1990s, gaps between China and Japan and between China and Korea have been successfully narrowed in terms of comprehensiveness of export structure in electronics.

Originality/value

The period of 1974‐2000 saw the tremendous transition in China from a centralized and planned system into a market‐driven economy. It also saw several noteworthy shifts of China's industrial policy in order to build up its innovative capacity and to catch‐up with Japan and Korea. Unlike many other studies that deeply root in macroeconomic approach, this study traces the evolution of China's performance at the sectoral level by focusing on electronics industry. The findings of this paper are explained in terms of national industrial policy, location effects, and low‐cost sourcing.
Environment, network interactions and innovation performance of industrial clusters
Authors: Zhao Yan , Zhou Wen , Hüsig Stefan , Vanhaverbeke Wim
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to categorize industrial clusters, and then compare three industrial clusters of three countries from the perspectives of hard environment, soft environment, factors from supply and demand sides, and the network mechanism.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through interview with cluster coordinators. Qualitative case studies were conducted.

Findings

The center of excellence behaves well in nearly all aspects, while the spatially narrowly distributed specific center of innovation mainly exploits benefits from its concentrated sector. For the Chinese comprehensive technology incubator, relatively limited geographical space and broad sectorial distribution endow it with unclear strengths, implying the inadequacy of interconnectedness and industry relatedness mentioned by Porter.

Research limitations/implications

Data were collected mainly from cluster coordinators, implying further data collecting and more comprehensive analysis.

Practical implications

It only makes sense to compare industrial clusters that are comparable with each other. Elements must be matched to facilitate the network interactions, and hence the innovation performance of clusters.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the theoretical basis through it analyzing and clarifying the scales to measure industrial clusters, and answers the question: what is the situation of industrial clusters behaving in several aspects including hard environment, soft environment, supply, demand, network interactions and innovation performance?
Latecomer strategy to catch‐up
Authors: Zhang Wei , Shi Yongjiang , Wu Xiaobo
Published: October 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to answer two research questions: what latecomer advantages and disadvantages they had, and what strategies they employed to utilize the advantages or to surmount the disadvantages.

Design/methodology/approach

After reviews of the literatures on latecomers' characteristics and the notable rise of Taiwanese thin‐film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT‐LCD) panel manufacturers in the global manufacturing contexts, this research project combined secondary industrial sector data analysis and individual company case study (AUO Ltd) approaches in order to build a conceptual framework and identify latecomers' (dis)advantages.

Findings

This paper advances the existing literature on latecomer advantages and disadvantages by reviewing the spectacular rise of Taiwanese TFT‐LCD panel manufacturers and reveals the importance of some unexplored source of latecomer advantage such as the competition dynamics which is proved to be vital for Taiwanese firms to successfully penetrate into the market. The paper finds the influence of technological regime and argues that the incremental technological advance rather than radical innovation provides latecomers with opportunity to utilize the learning curve effect. It has also discovered new forms of latecomer advantages, for example the free‐rider effect of improved equipment due to suppliers' own learning curve. This paper illustrates the necessity of adequate exploration on technology and product features to understand firms' strategic behaviors. Moreover, the subtle tactics found in this case study may enlighten other latecomers.

Research limitations/implications

The study leaves a number of questions unanswered which warrant more attention. First, the theoretical arguments and experiences from this single case are not easily extendable to the other industries. Broader investigation should be helpful to discover the mechanism between latecomer advantage, strategy and performance. Second, the study of latecomer (dis)advantages and strategies should take the firm features into account to get a whole picture. Third, the examination of interactions between latecomer (dis)advantages and more detailed analytical framework are needed.

Originality/value

Although latecomers' characteristics and strategies have been discussed for many years since Asia economy emerged, TFT‐LCD industry is a relatively new and fast growing industry. How can a latecomer play an important role in emerging industry growing phase? This is novel in contrast with classical latecomer's model in established industry.
From knowledge to product
Authors: Li Chen , Morgan Glenn
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between institutional change and commercialization of university research in China, the largest developing country during 1985‐2007 period.

Design/methodology/approach

The findings are based on a comparative case study of two key Chinese universities. Both unstructured and semi‐interviews are utilized for the research.

Findings

There is still a gap between goals of institutional change and performances of commercializing university research, albeit improvements have also been observed over last two decades.

Research limitations/implications

Only two universities are selected to approach the complex commercialization process, more cases are needed for further research.

Practical implications

Experience generated from this comparative study might be helpful for other developing countries to explore the appropriate paths to commercialize their research results.

Originality/value

Three modes of commercialization proposed in the paper might help for cross‐country comparison research.
An empirical study on firm R&D team's creativity: implications from China's hi‐tech industries
Authors: Tang Chaoying
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence approach between team leadership and research and develop (R&D) team creativity in one joint‐venture firm of Chinese hi‐tech industries.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 14 R&D teams in one leading electronic joint‐venture firm in China based on questionnaires. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis to test the mediate effect of knowledge sharing on the relationship between leader's empowerment behavior and team creativity.

Findings

The results reveal that, after the effects of leader's empowerment behavior had been controlled, tacit knowledge sharing contributed significantly to the explained variance of team creativity, while the explicate knowledge sharing was not significantly affect the creativity. Thus, tacit knowledge sharing partially mediated the relationship between leader's empowerment behavior and team creativity. The limitations of this study include it just selects the self‐report questionnaire to do the data collection, and the samples just come from one company in China.

Practical implications

This empirical study implicates that it is necessary for R&D team leader to manage team communication, such as management the team communication channel and work place, as team communication is the pre‐requirement of the team divergent thinking. Second, team leaders can use the empowerment behaviors to encourage team members do tacit knowledge sharing. This might be a challenge of Chinese R&D team leaders in the hi‐tech industries. It means instead of maintaining personal authority which is the traditional leadership behavior in China, R&D team leader should learn to do more empowering behavior to improve the team creativity.

Originality/value

This paper points out team communication is the important approach between team leader's empowering behavior and the team creativity under the merging contexts. Furthermore, it empirical finds that the tacit knowledge share rather than the explicit knowledge sharing has such mediation effect.
Event leveraging of mega sport events: a SWOT analysis approach
Authors: Karadakis Kostas , Kaplanidou Kiki , Karlis George
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) that a host city can experience to utilize these for future strategy planning and event leveraging.

Design/methodology/approach

Five phone interviews were conducted with administrators of the Athens Olympic Games. Respondents were asked four questions relating to the SWOT of hosting the Olympic Games. Responses collected were transcribed and analyzed using a content analysis.

Findings

Findings suggest that the strengths lie in having certain infrastructures in place, volunteers, a strong economy and good political standing. Weaknesses stem from a lack of infrastructure, the size of the country, uncertain political and economic stability. Opportunities included the growth of the tourism industry, business developments, increase in the quality of life, the use of legacies post‐event, and the improvement and development of infrastructures. Threats included the cost of the event, pollution, relying on the event to rejuvenate the economy and the displacement of residents.

Originality/value

The SWOT analysis conducted in this paper laid the foundation for strategic planning for future host cities' organizers while taking into consideration the weaknesses and problems that have been experienced by the organization of former Olympic Games host cities. Moreover, the SWOT analysis conducted in this paper goes one step further by incorporating Chalip's leveraging model in order to identify what strengths and weaknesses need to be addressed in order for a host city to leverage the opportunities and threats of hosting a sport event.
The role of the media in influencing residents' support for the 2012 Olympic Games
Authors: Ritchie Brent W. , Shipway Richard , Monica Chien P.
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the media on residents's support of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games within the two respective communities of Weymouth and Portland in England and in doing so better understand what influences residents' support for mega events.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative methodology was employed using a systematic random sampling method. A drop and collect technique with self‐completion surveys was used. A total of 404 completed surveys were returned. Logistical regression was used to examine the influence of the media on overall event support.

Findings

Although residents were supportive of hosting the event in the local area their overall support was influenced by their perceptions of the media portrayal. Those respondents who perceive the event portrayal as fair were much more in favour of hosting the event than other groups of respondents. The type of portrayal in the local media was not significant.

Research limitations/implications

The nature of media exposure and attitudes toward the media were not examined. Future research is needed on how the media present and frame issues related to mega sport event hosting, and whether involvement or commitment influences residents' media perceptions and overall event support.

Practical implications

Fairness in reporting appears to be a greater influencing factor than the type of media coverage (positive, negative, and neutral). This suggests the need for open communication of the costs as well as the benefits from event organisers and unbiased reporting from media sources.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to examine the influence of the media on residents' support for mega sporting events. It proposes future research directions to explore this neglected area.
Optimising the potential of mega‐events: an overview
Authors: Jago Leo , Dwyer Larry , Lipman Geoffrey , van Lill Daneel , Vorster Shaun
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons that mega‐events rarely realise their potential for host destinations and to suggest issues that need to be addressed in rectifying this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a synthesis of the literature as well as the substantial event‐related experience of the authors.

Findings

The key reason that mega‐events do not generate the expected benefits for the host destination is that event organisers and destination managers adopt a short‐term perspective rather than seeing mega‐events as part of a long‐term strategy for the destination. Even the planned legacies are often not realised as resource constraints in the lead up to the staging of the event often results in resources being shifted away from planning for legacies and being allocated to helping cover the more immediate needs of the event.

Research limitations/implications

If the mega‐event knowledge portal that is proposed in this paper to help improve the overall contribution that mega‐events make to host destinations is developed, it will prove to be a fertile source of data for longitudinal research in the field of mega‐events.

Originality/value

As so many mega‐events fail to deliver the expected benefits for the host destination, this paper provides some useful insights into the key issues that need to be addressed in order to help overcome this problem.
Setting parameters: operational budget size and allocation of resources
Authors: Smith Wayne W. , Litvin Stephen W. , Canberg Andrea , Tomas Stacy R.
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine how festivals allocated their funds among various expense categories.

Design/methodology/approach

Festival managers from across North and South Carolina were asked to specify the percentages of their expense budgets allocated to each of the following categories: marketing, administrative, entertainment and operations.

Findings

It was found that “smaller” festivals spend a significantly greater proportion of their budgets on marketing (23 percent) and a far smaller share on administrative expenditures (5 percent) than do their “larger” counterparts that spend only 15 percent on marketing and triple the “smaller” festival's administrative costs (15 percent). The differences related to their spending for entertainment (35 versus 28 percent) and operations (36 versus 41 percent) are not as dramatic in relation to their proportion of total spending. The data herein suggest that festival size plays an important role when it comes to such allocations.

Originality/value

The paper has provided benchmarks that hopefully will assist festival directors' budget‐decision‐making strategies as they allow a measure with which to evaluate those decisions. While the research needs to be interpreted with great care due to its relatively small sample size and broad budgetary categorizations, the findings provide a guide to assist festival organizers as they manage their events for the benefit of their stakeholders and the communities that support them. The paper also provides a starting point for future research in this area, much of which is needed.
Talent management in professional services firms: a HR issue?
Authors: Calvo Babío Nuria , García Rodríguez Rafael
Published: October 2010

Purpose

An increasing number of organizations are concerned with the internal management of talent. Over recent years there has been a proliferation of studies which attempt to quantify the value of the intangible assets held at a company, while human resource practices have taken on strategic significance for organizations, leading to a direct connection between the management of professionals and the achievement of the company's goals. The paper aims to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

In response to the strategic need to maintain a distinctive offering of talent within the marketplace of professional services companies, a dynamic simulation tool has been devised and used to analyze those policies which allow the flow of professionals to be adjusted in order for a company to fulfill market expectations in the event of different demand scenarios.

Findings

As a result of the analysis performed, the paper observed that a lack of flexibility within the organization tended to lead to a reduction in potential intellectual capital, and increased excess workload, together with a decline in the company's competitiveness within the marketplace, as seen in a drop in its level of corporate attractiveness.

Originality/value

By using scenarios, human resource (HR) managers can learn how to balance market demands and HR needs, considering the dynamic of organizational issues. According to the results obtained, the use of dynamic simulation models, like the one developed in this project, can improve the HR planning strategy in professional services firms.
A civil contingencies agency management system for disaster aid: a theoretical model
Authors: Nilsson Sofia , Sjöberg Misa , Larsson Gerry
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a deeper theoretical understanding of a civil contingencies agency that, as part of its ordinary task, executes humanitarian aid and rescue operations following disasters in an international milieu, from a management perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken is a qualitative interview study using a grounded theory approach to analysis.

Findings

A theoretical model was developed consisting of a hierarchical system of codes, categories, and superior categories. One superior category labelled underlying conditions consists of factors influencing the operative organisation abroad, such as political rule, availability of financiers, and the everyday activities of the organisation. Another superior category labelled the operation contains the dimension of time (before, during, and after the operation). Two core variables underlying rationale and resource structure of the operation were identified, whereby underlying rationale may be efficiency and humanity‐related, whilst the resource structure of the operation consists of person‐related qualities and physical, administrative, and material‐logistic‐related qualities. A cross‐tabulation of these two core variables is the most developed part of the model.

Research limitations/implications

In terms of providing evidence, the theoretical model has limited value, as it has been developed through a qualitative grounded theory approach. Thus, there is a need to test its universal applicability.

Practical implications

The findings may serve as a starting point for a better understanding of civil contingencies agencies from a management perspective and as such provide a theoretical instrument of analysis for improved humanitarian aid and rescue operations.

Originality/value

The theoretical model of a civil contingencies agency management system for disaster aid executing humanitarian aid and rescue operations within the frames of supranational or international organisations in an international milieu is new and can be regarded as a context‐specific contribution to complex system theory of organisations.
Antecedents of risk in compliance enhancing organizations
Authors: Kirkhaug Rudi
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The paper tested the hypothesis that, in compliance enhancing organizations like the police and the army, a resilience strategy of delegation and flexibility for countering external threats might be a better strategy for reducing risk perception among employees than an anticipation strategy of centralization and formalization. The research aim is to provide an empirical model that can help risk exposed and compliance enhancing organizations operating in turbulent environments design optimal organizational solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

Officers in an army and a police organization in Norway were examined. The selection strategy ensured representation from all levels and units. Hierarchical regression analyses were applied to test the hypothesis.

Findings

Data analyses showed that an anticipation strategy increased employees' perception of risk, while a resilience strategy reduced their perception of risk. No significant difference between the two organizations was revealed.

Research limitations/implications

Common method bias may reduce data validity. Police and army units may not be representative for compliance enhancing organizations due to their specific training and culture.

Practical implications

Training, organizing, and leadership concepts should consider the fact that employees in compliance enhancing organizations seem to deal with risk best through delegation and freedom of action.

Originality/value

Few, if any, previous studies have examined how strategies or coping with external threats at the organizational level may affect employees' perception of risk. This paper reports that two well‐known strategies for coping with external threats may influence employees' risk perception in entirely different ways.
Sustaining the equality of employee voice: a dynamic capability
Authors: Kulkarni Subodh P.
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The paper seeks to addresses the ethically and strategically important question: “How can managers sustain the equality of employee voice in a dynamic environment?”.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the above question, this paper conceptually integrates two theoretical streams that are prominent in their respective traditions: Amartya Sen's capabilities approach (SCA) in the economics and ethics literature and the dynamic capabilities approach (DCA) in strategic management.

Findings

Adapting SCA, this paper conceptualizes “voice” as employees' “capability” or “freedom” to achieve what they morally “value” in an organization, and “justice” as the equality of employee voice. Following DCA, it outlines a framework for “dynamic capability” (“voice management capability”) building by managers. It describes the processes by which executives leverage their knowledge to find new ways of creating equality in employee voice and continually remedy inequities in a changing environment. The creation of paths during the discovery of such processes and the subsequent path dependence can influence the persistence of employee voice equality.

Originality/value

The paper is unique in that it extends Sen's notion of “equality of individual capabilities” to employee voice. Although SCA overcomes several flaws in the competing ethics theories, it remains seriously underexplored in organizational analysis. DCA is valuable in explaining how the equality in employee voice can be sustained over time. The equality of employee voice is important not only because of its moral implications but also because of its potential desirable consequences (e.g. employee trust, commitment, and loyalty).
Critical management studies and “mainstream” organization science
Authors: Visser Max
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a rapprochement between the field of critical management studies (CMS) and what is constructed here as the “mainstream” of organization theory and research.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper contains a comparative analysis of relevant literature from the fields of organization theory, political science and political psychology.

Findings

It is found, first, that at least four instances of “mainstream” theory and research more or less share CMS assumptions; second, that CMS and “mainstream” may benefit from mutual contact (using the example of the “power elite” discussion in the 1950s and 1960s); third, that CMS and “mainstream” may benefit from “mainstream” operationalization of CMS‐concepts (using the example of the development of theF‐scale in the 1930s and 1940s).

Originality/value

The paper ranks among the first to search for convergences between two fields that seem firmly divided in both theoretical and institutional terms.
A new theoretical framework of technology acceptance and empirical investigation on self‐efficacy‐based value adoption model
Authors: Zhu Ge , Sangwan Sunanda , Lu Ting‐Jie
Published: October 2010

Purpose

In a voluntary consumer market, the consumer's decision‐making process is still a magnetic topic although a large number of related studies have been conducted. The purpose of this paper is to explore the determining factors for the future adoption of an innovation service and proposes a new model to better explain consumer's adoption intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Social cognitive theory is introduced in the paper to explore consumer behavior in terms of triadic and reciprocal causation among value, self‐efficacy, and adoption constructs. Based on the theoretical framework, a self‐efficacy‐based value adoption model (SVAM) is proposed to study the adoption of mobile auction (m‐auction) – one of mobile‐internet services in an empirical manner. The analysis of measurement and structural model is conducted via LISREL 8.80.

Findings

Research results indicate that the instruments are reliable and valid and the model is well accepted. Perceived functional, social, and emotional values are tested to have a significant influence on perceived value. Perceived cost is negatively related to perceived value and positively to attitude. m‐auction self‐efficacy (MASE) comes from subjective and objective general self‐efficacy, which not only directly impacts attitude but also strongly influences perception of all the antecedents of perceived value.

Research limitations/implications

Although SVAM is proved to be successful in this paper, it still needs more experimental research from different research contexts and authors to be supported.

Originality/value

Compared with previous research on innovation adoption, results show that the model is more effective in explaining the adoption intention (R2=0.72). Just like perceived value has a significantly impact on attitude, self‐efficacy of m‐auction has an essential role in perceived values and cost and attitude. The result fully demonstrates that the value adoption model based on self‐efficacy is a better technology acceptance model, especially for a voluntary consumer market.
Control in outsourced ISD projects based on psychological contract: a multiple case study
Authors: Li Xiaoyan , Mao Jiye , Qian Jing
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The paper seeks to investigate the effects of psychological contract on control mechanisms in outsourced ISD projects, based on control theories and psychological contract theories.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a multiple case study involving five outsourced projects completed by one of the largest and most successful telecommunication vendors in China. The company was the client in three of the projects and the vendor in the other two.

Findings

Based on first‐hand observations by the first author over a two‐year period and follow‐up interviews, four scenarios of match and mismatch of psychological contract between the client and vendor are identified, labeled as mutual transaction, client vulnerable, vendor vulnerable, and mutual loyalty. Moreover, the effect of psychological contract in shaping organizational control and outsourcing outcomes in the four different scenarios is revealed. For example, mutual transaction was associated with an emphasis on outcome control by the client. In contrast, mutual loyalty was associated with more informal control (self‐control and clan control). Furthermore, in the cases of mismatch between the client's and vendor's psychological relationship, the client implemented more behavior control and encouraged self‐control by its partner.

Originality/value

This research is, to the best of the author's knowledge, one of the first attempts to bring together psychological contract theory and organizational control theory in the domain of IT offshore outsourcing research. It reveals the effect of psychological contract in shaping organizational control in the four different scenarios labeled as mutual transaction, client vulnerable, vendor vulnerable, and mutual loyalty.
Ownership structure, information and benefits of control in the experimental market
Authors: Li Jianbiao , Wang Guangrong , Sun Juan , Liu Gulin
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship among ownership structure, information disclosure and benefits of control under Lab‐experimental frame, based on the ownership structure in China's stock market.

Design/methodology/approach

Theoretical Shapley value of shareholders was used as the representative of control right, and benefits of control in different experimental treatments were studied.

Findings

Experimental results show: first, more counterbalance of shareholders' control rights, less benefits of their control right. Accordingly, more chance to form core alliance for the major shareholder with small shareholders, less chance for them to get control right; second, the effect of information on benefits of control are mainly reflected in forming and maintaining the alliance; third, Shapley value of the major shareholder and the information determine the alliance type; fourth, control premium may be the cost of keeping the major shareholder's benefits safe and fifth, imperfect information is not always bad, concealing information partly can improve the distribution efficiency of a corporation.

Originality/value

The paper provides experimental analysis of the behavioral logic behind the benefits of control, which would help to explain the relationship among ownership structure, information disclosure and benefits of control.
The prediction of firm's competitive response from non‐market and market perspective
Authors: Deng Xinming , Tian Zhilong , Fan Shuai , Abrar Muhammad
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the prediction of competitive response based on the characteristics of market and non‐market actions comprehensively, and develop a four‐stage decision‐making model of firm's competitive action, which is significant for Chinese practicing managers when formulating and implementing the strategies, and further predicting competitors' strategic choices.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopted the method of structured content analysis and carried out the survey in Chinese home appliance industry, mainly covering the largest firms, including TCL, Hisense, Changhong, Konka, Haier, and Skyworth. The method of multiple regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that in order to comprehensively forecast competitor's responding behaviors, the firms could not only limit their perspective to market field but also pay attention to non‐market. Additionally, in the process of dynamic interaction, the attacking or responding action is not independent and it is related significantly to another three type decisions, which are market and non‐market, strategic and tactic, and collective and individual. Further, the study asserts that, in market field, tactic activity is more likely to trigger competitor's response than strategic one, while in non‐market, the situation is just the opposite. Meanwhile, the study figured out that individual market attack is easier to trigger individual market and non‐market response, as well as collective market response. While for non‐market action, whatever it is individual or collective, both would be easy to provoke competitor's collective response.

Originality/value

The research findings extend the existing competitive interaction theory to non‐market field. When forecasting competitor's choice of the competitive action, the firms could not only limit their perspective to market field but also pay attention to non‐market, attaching importance to certain situation of competitor's taking such non‐market action as corporate philanthropy, etc. to launch an attack or a response for gaining competitive advantage.
Managerial cognition: the sources of sustainable competitive advantage in hypercompetition
Authors: Shang Hangbiao , Huang Peilun , Guo Yan
Published: October 2010

Purpose

Based on the theory of bounded rationality, the purpose of this paper is to explore the role played by top managerial management cognition in firms' efforts to obtain and maintain competitive advantage in a dynamic environment.

Design/methodology/approach

A research framework of the relations between environment changes, management cognition, strategic actions, organizational capability evolution and organizational performance is built. Data are collected through interviews, internal documents, and external documents and consequently a qualitative database is built to construct a causal map between environment, cognition, strategic actions, and organizational capability. Then by applying this causal map, a case study analysis of Vanward Group is carried out to explore its management cognition, strategic actions, and organizational capability in a dynamic environment.

Findings

The research propositions were tested and confirmed that top managerial management cognition is of bounded rationality and in dynamic environment it exerts direct and critical effect on their firms' strategic actions and organizational capability. Further discussion is extended to the roles played by institutional factors in organizational strategic decision process and the roles of top management in organizational dynamic capability.

Research limitations/implications

The generalizability of this paper's conclusions to other firms is to be tested by large sample quantitative research.

Practical implications

The research confirms the bounded rationality perspective in strategic management, and explores in depth the formation, evolution, and functions of top management cognition in a dynamic environment. It also emphasizes the non‐economic factors related to the continuous acquisition and maintenance of competitive advantages in a dynamic environment.

Originality/value

The paper releases the economic assumptions underlying industrial structure theory and resource‐based views by emphasizing the effect of top management cognition on organizational strategic actions and organizational capabilities. It further enriches the institution‐based view by illustrating how institutional environment affects top management cognition and consequently affects the changes in organizational strategic actions and organizational capability. Thus, the institutional context for organizational strategic decision making is emphasized. The paper contributes to research in dynamic capability by emphasizing top management roles in developing dynamic capability.
CEO golden‐mean thinking, ambidextrous orientation and organizational performance in Chinese context
Authors: Chen Jian‐xun , Ling Yuanyuan
Published: October 2010

Purpose

Previous research on the relationship between cheif executive officer (CEO) and organizational performance focused primarily on behavior and demographic variables, but was seldom based on the CEO cognition perspective. To fill this gap, the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between CEO cognition and organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking CEO golden‐mean thinking as an independent variable, organizational performance as dependent variable, ambidextrous orientation as a mediating variable, interdependence and connectedness as moderating variables, and using a multi‐source data collection approach, data were collected from 193 Chinese firms to test the hypothesis by adopting hierarchical regression model.

Findings

CEO golden‐mean thinking is found to have significantly positive impacts on ambidextrous orientation and organizational performance. Ambidextrous orientation plays a partial mediating role between golden‐mean thinking and organizational performance, while independence and connectedness play joint moderating roles between ambidextrous orientation and organizational performance. The three‐way interaction among ambidextrous orientation, connectedness, and interdependence has a significantly positive effect on organizational performance.

Research limitations/implications

CEOs should not only improve organizational performance through diversified, harmonious, and integrative thinking, but also enhance the ambidextrous ability by building ambidextrous orientation, connectedness, and interdependence mechanism in order to promote organizational performance.

Originality/value

As one of the most salient thinking characteristics in Chinese traditional culture, golden‐mean thinking increasingly has attracted scholars' attention. However, no previous scholar has applied this construct into leadership theory.
Homozygous null mutations in ZMPSTE24 in restrictive dermopathy: evidence of genetic heterogeneity
Authors: Ahmad Z , Phadke SR , Arch E , Glass J , Agarwal AK , Garg A
Published: October 2010

Ahmad Z, Phadke SR, Arch E, Glass J, Agarwal AK, Garg A. Homozygous null mutations in ZMPSTE24 in restrictive dermopathy: evidence of genetic heterogeneity.

Restrictive dermopathy (RD) results in stillbirth or early neonatal death. RD is characterized by prematurity, intrauterine growth retardation, fixed facial expression, micrognathia, mouth in the ‘o’ position, rigid and tense skin with erosions and denudations and multiple joint contractures. Nearly all 25 previously reported neonates with RD had homozygous or compound heterozygous null mutations in the ZMPSTE24 gene. Here, we report three new cases of RD; all died within 3 weeks of birth. One of them had a previously reported homozygous c.1085dupT (p.Leu362PhefsX19) mutation, the second case had a novel homozygous c.1020G>A (p.Trp340X) null mutation in ZMPSTE24, but the third case, a stillborn with features of RD except for the presence of tapering rather than rounded, bulbous digits, harbored no disease‐causing mutations in LMNA or ZMPSTE24. In the newborn with a novel ZMPSTE24 mutation, unique features included butterfly‐shaped thoracic 5 vertebra and the bulbous appearance of the distal clavicles. Skin biopsies from both the stillborn fetus and the newborn with c.1020G>A ZMPSTE24 mutation showed absence of elastic fibers throughout the dermis. This report provides evidence of genetic heterogeneity among RD and concludes that there may be an additional locus for RD which remains to be identified.