bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-initiated expatriates from emerging markets: career benefits arising from personal initiative
Authors: Bharadwaj Prashanth N. , Buchanan F. Robert
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of self-initiated professional expatriates about their subjective/intangible and objective/tangible successes in both home and host countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an empirical study using a survey methodology that included a sample of 211 (Male = 120 and Female = 91) employed professionals from India. Structural equation modeling, ANOVA andt-tests were used to analyze the data.

Findings

This study is unique in examining a sample from a homogeneous population from one country with one segment deciding to be SIEs while the other segment decided to return to their home country. The application of personal initiative (PI) theory and the theory of intrinsic motivation to SIEs is also relatively new. The focus on female professional SIEs from an emerging market to an advanced economy adds value to this study. The results have implications for employers and policy makers as well as US universities.

Originality/value

This study is unique in examining a sample from a homogenous population from one country with one segment deciding to be SIEs while the other segment deciding to return to their home country. The application of personal initiative (PI) theory to SIEs is also relatively new. The focus on female professional SIEs from an emerging market to an advanced economy adds value to this study. The results have implications for employers and policy makers as well as to US universities.
Examining the effects of celebrity negative publicity on attitude to, and reputation of, brand and corporation, directly and based on moderating factors
Authors: Hussain Shahzeb , Pascaru Olga , Priporas Constantinos Vasilios , Foroudi Pantea , Melewar T.C. , Dennis Charles
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effects of celebrity negative publicity on attitude towards brand, corporation, brand reputation and corporate reputation, both directly and through the moderating effects of social media involvement, brand commitment, identification and attribution (both types). Associative network theory has been used to explain these effects.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey of 550 respondents was carried out in London and surrounding areas. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data.

Findings

The findings suggest that celebrity negative publicity affects brand reputation and corporate reputation. Further, the moderating effects of social media involvement and brand commitment on attitude towards brand and corporation, identification on attitude towards brand, attribution types on attitude towards corporation were not found.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the effects of celebrity negative publicity on attitudes towards brand, attitude towards corporation, brand reputation and corporation reputation, directly, and through the moderating effects of attribution (both types), identification, commitment and social media. Findings from this study will minimise the gap in the literature on the topic and will help managers and policymakers to understand the effects of celebrity negative publicity in detail.
Composite-based and covariance-based structural equations modeling: moving forward by changing the dialogue
Authors: Voss Kevin E.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to integrate the findings of articles appearing in European Journal of Marketing’s special section on covariance-based versus composite-based structural equations modeling (SEM).

Design/methodology/approach

This is an editorial which uses literature review to draw conclusions regarding areas of agreement, areas for further research, and changing the discussion around composite-based SEM methods.

Findings

There are now four new areas of agreement regarding composite-based SEM. Researchers should adopt a toolbox approach to their methods and know the strengths and weaknesses of the research tools in their toolbox. Partial least squares (PLS) SEM and covariance-based SEM are not substitutes, and it is inappropriate to use the language of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in reporting measurement estimates from PLS SEM. Measurement matters and researchers need to devote effort to using reliable and valid multi-item measures in their investigations.

Originality/value

This postscript article outlines recommendations for authors, reviewers and editors regarding the analysis of data and reporting of results using structural equations models.
How gratitude shapes acceptance of questionable consumer behavior: the mediating role of self-righteousness
Authors: Septianto Felix , Garg Nitika , Agrawal Nidhi
Published: April 2023

Purpose

A growing literature shows that (integral) emotions arising in response to firm transgressions may influence consumer punishment. However, incidental emotions (which are unrelated to the decision at hand) can also be powerful drivers of consumer decision-making and could influence responses to firm transgressions. This paper aims to examine the role of incidental gratitude, as compared to incidental pride and a control condition, in shaping the acceptance of questionable consumer behavior toward a transgressing firm and the mediating role of self-righteousness in this regard.

Design/methodology/approach

Four experimental studies are conducted to examine the effect of gratitude, as compared to pride and a control condition, on the acceptance of questionable consumer behavior against a transgressing firm. Further, this research tests the underlying mechanism and a boundary condition of the predicted effect.

Findings

The results show that consumers experiencing gratitude, as compared to pride and a control condition, judge a questionable consumer behavior directed against a transgressing firm as less acceptable. These different emotion effects are found to be explained by self-righteousness. The findings also demonstrate that an apology by the firm attenuates the effect of emotions on consumer response toward the transgressing firm.

Research limitations/implications

The present research contributes to the literature on consumer punishment by identifying the role of incidental emotions in determining self-righteousness and ethical judgments. The research focuses on and contrasts the effects of two specific positive emotions – gratitude and pride.

Practical implications

This paper offers managerial implications for firms involved in a transgression by highlighting the potential of gratitude. Notably, the findings of this research suggest that gratitude activation via marketing communications may help firms mitigate the negative effects of transgression events.

Originality/value

The present research provides a novel perspective on when and how positive emotions, such as gratitude and pride, can differentially and systematically influence ethical judgment toward a transgressing firm.
Assessing the entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions of current and future labor forces: the role of entrepreneurial orientation
Authors: Bičo Azra , Knezović Emil
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The study aims to examine whether there is a difference in entrepreneurial intentions (EI) and intrapreneurial intentions (II) between current labor force (CLF) and future labor force (FLF). Moreover, the role of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as a common determinant has been presented.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey was used to collect the data from 472 members of the CLF and 310 members of the FLF in Bosnia and Herzegovina. To test the hypotheses, Welch's t-test and multiple regression were used.

Findings

The findings show that there is a difference in both EI and II between CLF and FLF and that individual EO, to a certain degree, is a determinant of them.

Originality/value

The study extends the literature by offering a comparative approach to two populations within the same country. Furthermore, the study deviates from a more traditional approach that EI and II are divergent constructs with different determinants.
Remote working during COVID-19 in Sri Lanka: lessons learned and what the future holds
Authors: Adikaram Arosha S. , Naotunna N.P.G.S.I.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how Human Resource Management (HRM) practices were adopted to implement and manage remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify whether and how remote working would/should continue in the future, in a developing and a unique cultural set up in the Asian context.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted using qualitative methodology with semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 26 Human Resource Professionals (HRPs) of different industries in Sri Lanka. The information was collected in two phases; at the initial stages of the pandemic during May–June 2020 and after one year and four months, in October–November 2021.

Findings

The findings explain the different HRM activities executed by HRPs, such as employee engagement activities, setting guidelines, employee support, performance management and training, to make remote working successful when it was implemented as an emergency and involuntary work arrangement with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka. However, over time, the interest and interventions of HRPs appeared to have dwindled, and many companies are waiting to revert to on-site work when the pandemic situation settles. It appears that remote working will remain a transitory work arrangement to respond to crises or exceptional circumstances rather than a permanent work arrangement for many companies in Sri Lanka.

Originality/value

The study contributes to and expands the knowledge of HRM in managing remote working during and beyond the pandemic in a developing Asian country perspective and the suitability of remote working and HRM practices for specific national cultural contexts.
Literary play gone viral: delight, intertextuality, and challenges to normative interpretations through the digital serialization of Dracula
Authors: Jones Karis , Storm Scott , Corbitt Alex
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study aims to explore the implications of a recent case in spring 2022 where the novelDraculawent “viral” as tens of thousands of Tumblr users participated in a serialized re-reading and discussion of the text through the hashtags #dracula and #dracula daily.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design approach (quant: topic modeling; qual: multimodal content analysis) to examine how users describe their own practices as well as top posts (more than 25,000 likes, comments and reblogs) in the first month of the collective reading of the novel.

Findings

The authors found that the serialization ofDraculamade space for “wandering reading practices” (Chavez, 2010) relevant to this interpretive community on Tumblr. The quantitative methods determined specific affective, intertextual and serialized aspects of textual play that were salient to readers. In top posts themselves, the authors saw readers creating metaleptic content imagining characters like the protagonist Jonathan in other novels or contexts, as well as processing and playing with their collective emotional responses toward characters. Additionally, readers used irony or satire through multimodal compositions to create literary arguments.

Originality/value

Playfully analyzing literature together through intertextual connections and multimodal memes has the potential to be both emotionally resonant, culturally relevant and supportive of literary interpretive practices. Based on these findings, the authors provide suggestions for teachers working to embrace interpretive play in formal learning spaces.
When there is a crisis, there is an opportunity? SMEs' capabilities for durability and opportunity confidence
Authors: Nikiforou Argyro (Iro) , Lioukas Spyros , Chatzopoulou Erifili-Christina , Voudouris Irini
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine what makes some firms, but not others, see a crisis as an opportunity to become entrepreneurial. Specifically, it examines how two key capabilities for durability—(unabsorbed) slack resources and external market networks—influence small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)’ “opportunity confidence”, a term recently coined to denote the subjective assessment of the extent to which a crisis is a good (bad) basis for entrepreneurial activities, such as the introduction of new products/services and new market entry.

Methodology

Analysis of hand-collected survey data from 138 SMEs in Greece — a country hit hard by the 2008 economic crisis.

Findings

The findings reveal that an SME's number of network contacts has a positive effect on opportunity confidence, whereas firm slack resources lack a direct effect. It is, in fact, at low levels of firm slack resources that network returns are higher, especially for older firms. An extension to the main analysis also shows that opportunity confidence is linked to firm sales growth.

Practical implications

Understanding what makes some firms, but not others, see a crisis as an opportunity will help build an extensive and solid knowledge base and get ready for the next big (or small) crisis, which is inevitable to occur. Besides the grants and subsidies that policymakers often provide to SMEs in times of crisis, they may also need to consider organizing actions that support the extraversion and networking of SMEs—that can be done in a variety of ways due to the rise of teleworking and online collaboration platforms since the onset of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Originality/value

This paper draws linkages between the “external enabler perspective” and the burgeoning resilience literature and illustrates empirically what makes some SMEs, but not others, view an economic crisis as a good basis for entrepreneurial activities—that is a manifestation of early-stage entrepreneurial behavior and a necessary condition before taking entrepreneurial action in times of crisis. By so doing, this study extends research on resilience that has explained the role of “capabilities for durability” as a means of surviving through a crisis by revealing that these capabilities do not necessarily translate into capabilities for renewal that will help firms to bounce forward in response to the crisis. It also points to the “dark side” of capabilities for durability and, by implication, of resilience.
Cryptocurrency in the Darknet: sustainability of the current national legislation
Authors: Dhali Mohsin , Hassan Shafiqul , Mehar Saghir Munir , Shahzad Khuram , Zaman Fazluz
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to show that divergent perceptions among regulators, the regulated and the associated regulatory bodies across multiple jurisdictions regarding the nature and functionality of cryptocurrencies hamper the development of a more comprehensive and coherent regulatory framework in curbing crimes and other related risks associated with cryptocurrencies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study has used a descriptive doctrinal legal research method to investigate and understand the insights of existing laws and regulations in four selected jurisdictions concerning cryptocurrencies and how these laws could be further improved and developed to reduce crypto-related crimes. Furthermore, the study has also used a comparative research method to conceptualize the contours of the new legal discourse emerging from cryptocurrencies to adopt and implement a sound regulatory framework.

Findings

The study illustrated that divergent regulatory treatment among different jurisdictions might suffocate novel digital innovations such as cryptocurrency. These fragmented regulatory approaches by various jurisdictions question the sustainability of the present national legislation adopted to regulate cryptocurrencies. Looking into other jurisdictional developments in regulating cryptocurrencies, it is apparent that a concerted regulatory approach is needed to minimize the abuse of this innovation.

Research limitations/implications

The study has implications for regulators and policymakers to review the current regulatory framework for regulating cryptocurrencies to prevent regulatory arbitrage. The divergent legislative measures concerning cryptocurrency among different jurisdictions question the sustainability of these legislative initiatives, considering the evolving and borderless nature of cryptocurrency. Therefore, this paper will help regulators to consider the present legislative gaps in establishing a common global regulatory approach in the crypto sphere.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the existing body of literature by examining the regulatory frameworks of four jurisdictions, namely, the USA, Canada, China and the EU, related to cryptocurrencies, with a discussion on the development of cryptocurrencies-related laws among these four jurisdictions and their sustainability in curbing crimes in the Darknet.
What Generation Z needs: the role of project-based organizations in creating career sustainability
Authors: Borg Jessica , Scott-Young Christina M. , Borg Naomi
Published: April 2023

Purpose

As the youngest generation – Generation Z (Gen Z) – enters the workplace, there is a growing interest in this cohort's career needs and expectations. This paper explores the under-researched topic of Gen Z project management (Gen Z PM) professionals. In addition to shedding light on the factors that positively affect Gen Z PM professionals' early career-development phase, this research aims to identify specific organization-led practices that can foster sustainable early PM careers and so achieve greater workforce sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

Through the lens of the resource-based view (RBV), Gen Z PM professionals are considered critical resources that can help ensure workforce sustainability in project-based organizations (PBOs). Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 25 Gen Z PM professionals in Australia to explore the professionals' early career experiences and the organizational-support initiatives that facilitate positive experiences. The results were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Findings

The results revealed that most Gen Z PMs experienced many challenges and a lack of support during their early career phase: Gen Z value (1) mentoring, (2) time for training and development, (3) showing support and guidance, (4) understand skill-gaps and (5) reasonable workloads. Through catering to these needs, PBOs can ensure better career sustainability for their young Gen Z talent and, therefore, greater workforce sustainability for the project profession.

Originality/value

According to the career sustainability lens, PBOs play a significant role in ensuring that their valuable young PM talent are supported and retained in the profession. This research sheds light on what Gen Z PM professionals value in their early careers, which guided recommendations to better support this new generation of project professionals.
Role of management education in adapting the Indian public sector to market-based economic reforms
Authors: Prakash Nisha , Hawaldar Aparna
Published: April 2023

Purpose

In 1991, India embarked on market-based economic reforms initiatives pillared on liberalization, privatization and globalization (LPG). The reforms exposed the public sector enterprises to competitive market forces, raising the need to identify and develop the competencies necessary for survival. Executive training programs were initiated to prepare public enterprises for the market-based reforms. Three decades later, the reforms especially privatization is witnessing renewed interest under the current administration. In this context, the article takes a closer look at the structure of management education provided to public sector officers in India. The article also identifies barriers for implementing the learnings from the management courses in the workplaces and suggests approaches for closing the gap.

Design/methodology/approach

The study follows a thematic approach based on unstructured interviews of senior executives of Indian public sector enterprises covering oil and gas, aeronautical, power and transportation sectors. New public management (NPM) is used as a yardstick of “business-like” characteristics of public sector enterprises.

Findings

Despite heavy investment, trainings have had only partial success in implementing the core objective of NPM, i.e. to provide quality services in a professional manner to meet citizen requirements. The study found that though concepts of NPM are introduced at multiple management training programs, the public enterprises lag in the implementation of NPM. The ingrained hierarchical and procedural culture of the enterprises was often highlighted as the challenge to its implementation.

Practical implications

The study will be of significance to Indian policymakers in designing management education programs to public sector employees. It brings out – (1) various models of management education provided to public servants across industries, (2) provide evidence on the extent of NPM implementation, (3) identify barriers for transitioning the learnings from the management courses to workplace and (4) suggest changes for improving effectiveness.

Originality/value

The existing research on LPG in India covers the economic transformation post-implementation and the factors contributing to the success of its implementation. This study adds to the limited literature available on the management education of public servants in the country.
A moderated mediation analysis of the low enrollment intention at international higher education in Indonesia
Authors: Sudhana Pranakusuma , Noermijati Noermijati , Sabil Hussein Ananda , Khusniyah Indrawati Nur
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the relationship between the brand awareness of an international university operating in Indonesia and enrollment intention serially mediated by brand congruity and brand attitude and moderated by brand experience.

Design/methodology/approach

A moderated serial mediation model was developed and was tested using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the proposed relationship. There were 132 prospective students involved as respondents.

Findings

(1) brand awareness may not always directly affect purchase intention; (2) brand congruity and brand attitude serially mediate the relationship between brand awareness and enrollment intention; (3) brand experience may not always moderate the relationship between brand awareness and consumer behavior.

Research limitations/implications

This paper considers generalizability as its limitation with suggestions to undertake future studies in other settings and the longitudinal and broader scope. Future research could examine other variables to enhance the model.

Practical implications

This paper also proposes theoretical and managerial implications in higher education branding and marketing.

Originality/value

This study closed the gap in the unsuccessful relationship between brand awareness and behavioral intention that the mediating variables of brand congruity and brand attitude must be serially present. This study also confirmed that brand experience is not empirically suitable as a moderator.
Key insights from climate communication – and how they can inspire sustainability in higher education
Authors: Sippel Maike
Published: April 2023

Purpose

To combat climate change and safeguard a liveable future, humanity needs fundamental and rapid social change. The purpose of this paper is to show, why and how climate communication can play an important role to nurture the public engagement needed for this change, and to explore, what higher education for sustainability can learn from climate communication.

Design/methodology/approach

The scientific evidence base on climate communication for effective public engagement is summarised into 10 key principles, including “basing communication on people’s values”, “conscious use of framing” and “turning concern into action”. Based on the author’s perspective and experience in the university context, implications are explored for sustainability in higher education.

Findings

The study provides suggestions for teaching (e.g. complement information with consistent behaviour by the lecturer, integrate local stories and provide students with basic skills to communicate climate effectively), for research (e.g. make teaching for effective engagement the subject of applied research), for universities’ third mission to contribute to sustainable development in the society (e.g. provide climate communication trainings to empower local stakeholders) and greening the campus (develop a proper engagement infrastructure, e.g. by a university storytelling exchange on climate action).

Originality/value

The study provides an up-to-date overview of climate communication research, which is in itself original. This evidence base holds interesting learnings for institutions of higher education, and the link between climate communication and universities has so far not been explored comprehensively.
Service quality, satisfaction and behavioural intentions in sport child camps: participants and parents' perspectives
Authors: Sousa Marisa , Gonçalves Celina , Biscaia Rui , Carvalho Maria José
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study aims to assess service quality in sport child camps among both participants and parents and its effects on satisfaction and behavioural intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from participants (n = 258) and parents (n = 226) of a sport child camp. A confirmatory factor analysis analysed the psychometric properties of the constructs, and a subsequent structural equation model examined the effects of service quality on satisfaction and behavioural intentions.

Findings

The results indicate a multi-dimensional construct of service quality that influences satisfaction and behavioural intentions differently among parents and participants. For participants, Service Failures and Recovery, Safety and Food influenced satisfaction, while Service Failures and Recovery and Fun influenced Behavioural Intentions. For parents, Management Commitment to Service Quality, Staff, Food and Contact with Physical Environmental influenced satisfaction, while Management Commitment to Service Quality and Staff influenced Behavioural intentions.

Research limitations/implications

Both parents and participants' perceptions of service quality in sport child camps were captured and its effects on satisfaction and behavioural intentions. The study provides sport child camp managers with critical information about service delivery and its outcomes among the two key consumers (participants and parents).

Originality/value

This study offers new ideas to advance knowledge on sport child camps by capturing the perceptions of two key stakeholders and providing useful insights into how different attributes of service quality influence the levels of satisfaction and behavioural intentions among parents and participants.
Work motivation in three-way interaction with organizational justice across four different managerial positions
Authors: Giamos Dimitris , Shkoler Or , Tziner Aharon , Vasiliu Cristinel , Shertzer Yonatan
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The current study aims to propose a novel three-way interaction of work motivation (intrinsic/extrinsic) and work environment (organizational justice), in a Romanian context. Moreover, as managers and employees do not have the same needs, workloads and performance assessments, so the research model is tested in four groups: employees, office managers, department managers and executives. Additionally, a minor goal is to replicate known relationships in the literature in a non-Western country.

Design/methodology/approach

To this end, a total sample of N = 3,287 Romanian participants was obtained, using established, valid and known measures. Statistical analyses included common-method bias analysis, zero-order Pearson correlations and linear regressions with bootstrapping.

Findings

Results support the hypothesized three-way interaction, such that only when both motivations are high does the work environment have a profound effect on organizational outcomes, but when both are low, the employee becomes indifferent to the work.

Originality/value

Workplace fairness and work motivation are topics concerning employees and managers alike. While their roles in contributing to reduce work misbehaviors and increase extra role behaviors have been outlined in the past as, they may interact in surprising ways, and differently in every managerial level. On one hand, the current article replicates established associations but, on the other hand, it does so from a non-Western perspective and with the not-yet-researched addition of a three-way interaction between work environment (i.e. perceptions of organizational justice) and the individual's motivational dispositions (i.e. intrinsic and extrinsic work motivations).
Early adopters of Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS): state-of-the-art and deployment models
Authors: Tedaldi Gianluca , Miragliotta Giovanni
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Cloud Manufacturing (CM) is the manufacturing version of Cloud Computing and aims to increase flexibility in the provision of manufacturing services. On-demand manufacturing services can be requested by users to the cloud and this enables the concept of Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS). Given the considerable number of prototypes and proofs of concept addressed in literature, this work seeks real CM platforms to study them from a business perspective, in order to discover what MaaS concretely means today and how these platforms are operating.

Design/methodology/approach

Since the number of real applications of this paradigm is very limited (if the authors exclude prototypes), the research approach is qualitative. The paper presents a multiple-case analysis of 6 different platforms operating in the manufacturing field today. It is based on empirical data and inductively researches differences among them (e.g. stakeholders, operational flows, capabilities offered and scalability level).

Findings

MaaS has come true in some contexts, and today it is following two different deployment models: open or closed to the provider side. The open architecture is inspired by a truly open platform which allows any company to be part of the pool of service providers, while the closed architecture is limited to a single service provider of the manufacturing services, as it happens in most cloud computing services.

Originality/value

The research shoots a picture of what MaaS offers today in term of capabilities, what are the deployment models and finally suggests a framework to assess different levels of development of MaaS platforms.
Exploring servicescape experiences across museum types
Authors: Erdoğan Hasan Hüseyin , Enginkaya Ebru
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Previous research has been unable to provide a comprehensive method for measuring environment-based experience and its outcomes although it is an essential determinant of the museum experience. Therefore, this paper aims to present a measurement method for exploring how visitors’ servicescape experiences affect their positive word-of-mouth intention (PWOM).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected by surveying 810 visitors to 3 museums (i.e. Louvre, Pera and Key) representing different museum types. The research model was validated by using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The predicted associations between sensory, spatial and social experiences, and PWOM were confirmed for Pera. In the Louvre and Key, however, only sensory and social experiences were positively associated with PWOM. In addition, the moderating effect of building type on the relationship between spatial experience and PWOM was demonstrated.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the servicescape, customer experience and museum literature in several ways. Firstly, this study proposes a measurement method for servicescape experiences. Secondly, this study introduces servicescape experiences as new types of customer experience. Thirdly, this study provides insightful implications for the museum literature and professionals by highlighting how servicescape experiences affect PWOM across different types of museums.
Blockchain technology in pharmaceutical supply chains: a transaction cost perspective
Authors: Gruchmann Tim , Elgazzar Sara , Ali Ahmed Hussein
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Adopting new technologies to improve supply chain activities and processes is essential due to increasingly complex and dynamic business environments. Particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, high-quality standards must be met, requiring transparency and visibility in the supply chain. This research aims at investigating the implementation of blockchain technology in the supply chain of an Egyptian pharmaceutical company.

Design/methodology/approach

The research applies a single case-study approach building on the theoretical underpinnings of transaction cost economics. Twenty-five semistructured interviews were conducted with pharmacies and employees of the case company to identify the blockchain technologies' potential for pharmaceutical supply in Egypt. Further analyzing the frequencies of the codes, the authors elaborate on specific relationships between the observed practices.

Findings

The research revealed the potential benefits of adopting blockchain technology. Transaction costs are indeed positively impacted by reduced contracting costs, processing costs and lead times, also ensuring the safe delivery of medications. However, the findings also highlight obstacles related to running costs, awareness and company culture. Regarding supply chain governance, blockchain technology can enhance collaboration within the supply chain as well as with important stakeholders.

Practical implications

Insufficient management of pharmaceutical supply chains (PSC) may affect a company's reputation but also disrupt the patient's healing process due to temperature damage and counterfeit medicines. Blockchain governance, in this vein, can ensure a safer and more reliable supply of pharmaceutical products. For intraorganizational purposes, however, cloud solutions, barcoding and generally digital platforms are rated more frequently than blockchain solutions.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to an advanced understanding how blockchain technology supports PSC, particularly in an emerging country context like Egypt. It thereby confirms and extends previous research as well as adds to the theoretical underpinnings of digitalized supply chains.
From outsiders to insiders: cultural friction in cross-border M&As by Chinese companies
Authors: Li Dehui , Fan Libo
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Based on the business network view and cultural friction theory, this study aims to construct a theoretical model of the cultural friction effect and its mechanism of action during the transformation of Chinese enterprises from outsiders to insiders with equal and legitimate competitive status.

Design/methodology/approach

Data including cross-border M&As of Chinese enterprises in 17 major countries or regions and domestic M&As in China and host countries from 1982 to 2016 were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

This study finds that the presence of cultural friction in cross-border M&As diminishes the probability that Chinese firms will adopt a more rapid pace of entry into the core position of the host country's business network.

Originality/value

First, this study has theoretical implications for studying Chinese firms' cross-border M&As from the perspective of the host country. Second, the theoretical construction of this paper reveals the double meaning from outsidership to insidership. Third, this study responds to the academic initiative that a more comprehensive and appropriate study should include factors such as the structural characteristics of the home or host market and stakeholders.
Are memes selfish? How Internet memes reflect crisis–Covid-19 pandemic in Israel
Authors: Laor Tal
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The paper aims to explore, using an analysis of the three components of memes content, form and stance – whether and how the memes offer a broad picture of a specific society during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

The author collected, from the two largest Facebook groups in Israel, 25 memes with the largest number of likes in each month, beginning from the month in which awareness of COVID-19 increased significantly, between March 2020 and February 2019. A total of 597 memes were collected. The data were analyzed by a quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Findings

Findings indicate that meme culture effectively reflects a society’s situation and the challenges it faces. Memes also reflect local cultural icons and effects. Meme contents vary across groups. During a crisis, memes do not function as fertile groups for sharp criticism or calls to take action to resolve society’s social ills.

Practical implications

Memes may serve as a tool to understand and explore an unfamiliar, foreign culture, its state of mind and its history through meme culture.

Social implications

Memes may constitute a platform for relieving stress through light-hearted humor, unaccompanied by a true call to action; that is, “slacktivism” which gives a sense of active participation without involvement in actual activities for change.

Originality/value

The study reveals that the Israeli meme culture is not activist and rather focuses on humor to relieve stress. Memes may be used as “bread and circuses” or a means of “slacktivism” that fails to call to genuine activism.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-07-2022-0381
Policy‐making, policy‐taking, and policy‐shaping: Local government responses to the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Stoney Chris , Asquith Andy , Kipper Karyn , McNeill Jeff , Martin John , Spano Alessandro
Published: April 2023

The COVID‐19 pandemic has challenged nations states across the world. They have implemented lockdown and social distancing and with the development of vaccines have gone to great lengths to build herd immunity for their populations. As place managers, local government has played a variety of roles supporting central government edicts related to social distancing and supporting local businesses impacted by lockdowns. The research reported here comparing the role local government has played in Australia, Canada, Italy, and New Zealand shows that they have at different times and for different issues been policy takers from central government, policy shapers, and policy makers adapting national strategies. Local government plays an important complementary role with central governments in both unitary and federal systems of government. The paper contributes to the literature on multi‐level governance, place‐based decision‐making, and disaster and emergency management by offering a framework for analysing municipal roles in crises management both in their relationship with higher layers of government and in their acting as locally placed organisations.

Points for practitioners

Cross‐national study: Australia, Canada, Italy, and New Zealand.

Examination of local government responses to COVID‐19 pandemic as policy makers, takers, or shapers.

Comparison of federal and unitary states.
Payer shifting after expansions in access to private care among veterans
Authors: Rose Liam , Tran Diem , Wu Siqi , Dalton Aaron , Kirsh Susan , Vashi Anita
Published: April 2023

Objective

To investigate whether expanded access to Veterans Affairs (VA)‐purchased care increased overall utilization or induced a shift from other payers to VA for emergency care among VA enrollees.

Data Sources and Study Setting

This study included all emergency department (ED) encounters in 2019 from hospitals in the state of New York.

Study Design

We conducted a difference‐in‐differences analysis comparing VA enrollees to the general population before and after the implementation of the Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act in June 2019.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

We included all ED visits with individuals aged 30 or older at the time of the encounter. Individuals were considered eligible for the policy change if they were enrolled with VA at the beginning of 2019.

Principal Findings

Of the 5,577,199 ED visits in the sample, 4.9% (n = 253,799) were made by VA enrollees. Of these, 44.9% of visits were paid by Medicare, 32.8% occurred in VA facilities, and 7% were paid by private health insurance. There was a 6.4% (2.91 percentage points; std. error = 0.18; p < 0.01) decrease in the proportion of ED visits paid by Medicare among VA enrollees relative to the general population after the implementation of the MISSION Act in June 2019. This decrease was larger for ED visits with a subsequent inpatient admission (−8.4%; 4.87 percentage points; std. error = 0.33; p < 0.01). There was no statistically significant change in the total volume of ED visits (0.06%; std. error = 0.08; p = 0.45).

Conclusions

Leveraging a novel dataset, we demonstrate that MISSION Act implementation coincided with a shift in the financing of non‐VA ED visits from Medicare to VA without any increase in overall ED utilization. These findings have important implications for VA health care financing and delivery.
Gluco‐oligosaccharides as potential prebiotics: Synthesis, purification, structural characterization, and evaluation of prebiotic effect
Authors: Zeng Meijun , van Pijkeren Jan‐Peter , Pan Xuejun
Published: April 2023

Prebiotics have long been used to modulate the gut microbiota and improve host health. Most established prebiotics are nondigestible carbohydrates, especially short‐chain oligosaccharides. Recently, gluco‐oligosaccharides (GlcOS) with 2–10 glucose residues and one or more O‐glycosidic linkage(s) have been found to exert prebiotic potentials (not fully established prebiotics) because of their selective fermentation by beneficial gut bacteria. However, the prebiotic effects (non‐digestibility, selective fermentability, and potential health effects) of GlcOS are highly variable due to their complex structure originating from different synthesis processes. The relationship between GlcOS structure and their potential prebiotic effects has not been fully understood. To date, a comprehensive summary of the knowledge of GlcOS is still missing. Therefore, this review provides an overview of GlcOS as potential prebiotics, covering their synthesis, purification, structural characterization, and prebiotic effect evaluation. First, GlcOS with different structures are introduced. Then, the enzymatic and chemical processes for GlcOS synthesis are critically reviewed, including reaction mechanisms, substrates, catalysts, the structures of resultant GlcOS, and the synthetic performance (yield and selectivity). Industrial separation techniques for GlcOS purification and structural characterization methods are discussed in detail. Finally, in vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate the non‐digestibility, selective fermentability, and associated health effects of different GlcOS are extensively reviewed with a special focus on the GlcOS structure–function relationship.
The effect of aquaponics on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) sensory, quality, and safety outcomes
Authors: Kralik Brittany , Nieschwitz Natalie , Neves Kevin , Zeedyk Nicholas , Wildschutte Hans , Kershaw Jonathan
Published: April 2023

Resource‐efficient food production practices are needed to support a sustainable food system. Aquaponics, a system where fish and produce are grown symbiotically in the same water circulating system, minimizes water usage, fertilizer input, and waste production. However, the impact of aquaponics on produce quality is underexplored. We utilize objective testing, descriptive analysis, and consumer acceptance to characterize the impact of aquaponics on tomato quality. Two tomato varieties were grown in an aquaponics system and compared with soil‐grown controls across 3 years. Safety was assessed by analyzing coliforms and confirming the absence of Escherichia coli. Weight, texture, color, moisture, titratable acidity, brix, and phenolic and antioxidant measurements were assessed. A semitrained descriptive sensory panel assessed 13 tomato attributes and acceptance was determined using untrained participants. Aquaponic tomatoes were frequently lighter and yellower in color and lower in brix. Descriptive analysis indicated significant differences in several sensory attributes, though these findings were inconsistent between years and varieties. Nutrient deficiencies may explain quality differences, as iron supplementation improved outcomes. Notably, the objective and descriptive differences minimally impacted consumer acceptance, as we found no significant differences in taste, texture, or appearance liking between production method in either variety. Despite variation in produce quality across years, aquaponics tomatoes pose minimal E. coli risk and are liked as much as soil‐grown tomatoes. These findings demonstrate that aquaponics can produce products that are as acceptable as their soil‐grown counterparts.

Practical Application

Aquaponic tomatoes are as safe as soil‐grown tomatoes. Furthermore, aquaponics tomatoes are liked as much as soil‐grown tomatoes. Careful monitoring of nutrients in an aquaponic system may optimize quality. Overall, aquaponics has a minimal impact on tomato quality and thus is a sustainable food production method that can compete with conventional products on quality.
Clinical benefit of platinum doublet combination therapy in older adults with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer: A prospective multicenter study by the National Hospital Organization in Japan
Authors: Shimokawa Mototsugu , Kanazu Masaki , Saito Ryusei , Mori Masahide , Tamura Atsuhisa , Okano Yoshio , Fujita Yuka , Endo Takeo , Motegi Mitsuru , Takata Shohei , Kita Toshiyuki , Sukoh Noriaki , Mizuki Fumitaka , Takenoyama Mitsuhiro , Atagi Shinji
Published: April 2023

Background

Previous trials suggest that older adults with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) derive benefit from platinum doublet combination therapy, but its superiority is controversial. Although geriatric assessment variables are used to assess the individual risk of severe toxicity and clinical outcomes in older patients, the standard first‐line treatment is still debated. Therefore, we aimed to identify the risk factors for clinical outcomes in older patients with NSCLC.

Methods

Patients aged ≥75 years with advanced NSCLC treated at any of 24 National Hospital Organization institutions completed a pre‐first‐line chemotherapy assessment, including patient characteristics, treatment variables, laboratory test values, and geriatric assessment variables. We evaluated whether these variables were the risk factors for progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

A total of 148 patients with advanced NSCLC were treated with combination therapy (n = 90) or monotherapy (n = 58). Median PFS was 5.3 months and OS was 13.6 months. We identified that hypoalbuminemia (hazard ratio [HR] 2.570, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.117–5.913, p = 0.0264) was a risk factor for PFS and monotherapy (HR 1.590, 95% CI: 1.070–2.361, p = 0.0217), lactate dehydrogenase (HR 3.682, 95% CI: 1.013–13.39, p = 0.0478), and high C‐reactive protein (HR 2.038, 95% CI: 1.141–3.642, p = 0.0161) were risk factors for OS. The median OS was significantly longer in patients treated with combination therapy than in those who received monotherapy (16.5 months vs. 10.3 months; HR 0.684, 95% CI: 0.470–0.995, p = 0.0453).

Discussion

Platinum doublet combination therapy may be beneficial in older patients with NSCLC. Identification of risk factors will assist in the development of a personalized treatment strategy.