bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ambidextrous innovation orientation effected by the digital transformation
Authors: Scuotto Veronica , Arrigo Elisa , Candelo Elena , Nicotra Melita
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new perspective on ambidextrous innovation orientation looking at how the current digital transformation is accepted in the fashion industry in Italy. Precisely, the objective of the paper is to test whether the use of social media platforms positively influences ambidextrous innovation orientation in fashion companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical quantitative research was carried out on a sample of 853 small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the fashion industry in Italy. Using a logistic regression methodology, four hypotheses were tested to verify the correlation of four dimensions of social media platforms with an ambidextrous innovation orientation among fashion firms.

Findings

The four hypotheses were validated: the structural dimension, the relational behaviour dimension, the cognitive dimension and knowledge transfer practices of social media platforms were proven to positively influence ambidextrous innovation orientation in fashion firms.

Research limitations/implications

Though this is one of the few research studies that offers a quantitative analysis in this field, it could be further developed, for instance by extending the sample of firms to SMEs operating in other countries or by comparing multinationals with SMEs.

Originality/value

This paper provides an original contribution to studies on the use of social media to promote ambidexterity in firms, which has only been studied to a limited extent in the extant literature. From this perspective, the originality of the study is further strengthened by the unique context of analysis, namely, the fashion industry in Italy.
Establishing clients’ satisfaction levels with automated library based services
Authors: Nunekpeku Paul
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Library automation is required in academic libraries to meet the dynamic demands of clients. This study aims to investigate the level of clients’ satisfaction of Sam Jonah library automation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilized the descriptive research design by using an exploratory case study research method. A disproportionate stratified random sampling was used to select 322 respondents (undergraduates, postgraduates and lecturers/researchers) who consented to participate in the study. Questionnaire and informal interview were used for the data collection.

Findings

The study showed that more than half of the clients of Sam Jonah library were moderately satisfied with the library’s automation. Clients mostly access internet/Wi-Fi and reference service. Patronage of the services including photocopying, borrowing of books (circulation), e-resources/academic databases, institutional repository, library website and the OPAC was not encouraging. Increase in user education was recommended to improve their usage.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to only one academic library, namely, Sam Jonah library of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Originality/value

The study provides insight into a case study of satisfactory level of clients in accessing automated services of Sam Jonah Library to serve as a basis for further research.
Prey: startup and public institution alliance while struggling to retain talent
Authors: Kuschel Katherina , Cotapos Francisco , González Miguel-Ángel , Salcedo Nestor U.
Published: December 2019

Learning outcomes

The purpose of this paper is to study and identify the four core management principles of the POLC management framework: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. In particular, students are expected to understand that the classical conceptual frameworks used in strategic management are useful and valid for the planning principle in tech startups.

Case overview/synopsis

This case study presents the story of Tomás Pollak, founder and CEO of Prey, a software company dedicated to tracking stolen mobile devices. It covers a period of six years beginning at the foundation of the company in 2009 and up to 2015, when the company faced the choice of entering into an alliance with a government agency: The Investigations Police of Chile (PDI or Policía de Investigaciones de Chile). Tomás faced the decision of either going through with the alliance, while dealing with the dire need of recruiting and retaining company talent. This case highlights several management challenges and common strategies faced by entrepreneurs and is intended to spark a class discussion about how the relevance of these management concepts in the context of startups.

Complexity academic level

Undergraduate, MBA or Post-Graduate courses: Entrepreneurship, Venture Creation, Tech Ventures / Startups / Scaleups, Management / Corporate Management / Business Administration, Strategy.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Hotel Business Inn
Authors: Montiel Eduardo Luis , Martinez Octavio
Published: December 2019

Learning outcomes

Revisar el CAPM como metodología para estimar el costo de los recursos propios en una inversión e ilustrar, mediante un ejemplo latinoamericano, los retos de aplicar el modelo fuera de Estados Unidos. Presentar diferentes alternativas para estimar el riesgo país con una discusión de sus pros y contras. Introducir complejidades adicionales en el estimado del costo de los recursos propios contrastando la perspectiva de un inversionista local no diversificado con el de una multinacional que opera en 39 países

Case overview/synopsis

El caso Hotel Business Inn se enfoca en la estimación del riesgo país para determinar el costo de los recursos propios en una inversión fuera de los Estados Unidos. La teoría financiera indica que este costo debería determinarse en base al riesgo no diversificable de la inversión y para obtener este estimado, los libros de texto recomiendan el CAPM (Capital Asset Pricing Model). Los estimados del CAPM, sin embargo, generalmente se basan en el mercado financiero de Estados Unidos. Para aplicar este modelo en otros países, el consenso es que se debe ajustar por el riesgo país de la inversión pero existe un debate sobre cómo hacer este ajuste. El caso presenta las alternativas más utilizadas e introduce complejidades adicionales en el entorno de un país latinoamericano.

Complexity academic level

El caso está diseñado para cursos de Finanzas Corporativas, Valoración o Finanzas Internacionales tanto para estudiantes de MBA como en programas de formación ejecutiva.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 1: Contabilidad y Finanzas
Text mining for human resources competencies: Taiwan example
Authors: Chung Chih-Hung , Chen Lu-Jia
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the capabilities required by entry-level human resources (HR) professionals based on job advertisements by using text mining (TM) technique.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used TM techniques to explore the capabilities required by entry-level HR professionals based on job advertisements on HR agency 104’s website in Taiwan. Python was used to crawl the advertisements on the website, and 841 posts were collected. Next, the author used TM to explore and understand hidden trends and patterns in numerous data sets.

Findings

The results of this study revealed four critical success factors (specific skills, educational level, experience and specific capabilities), five clusters and ten classifications.

Practical implications

The results can aid HR curriculum developers and educators in customizing and improving HR education curricula, such that HR students can develop capabilities required to secure employment in the current HR job market.

Originality/value

Our results may facilitate the understanding of the current trends in the HR job market and provide useful suggestions to HR curriculum developers for improving training and professional course design, such that students’ competitiveness is enhanced and professional capabilities improved.
Managing risks in work-integrated learning programmes: a cross-institutional collaboration
Authors: Cameron Craig , Ashwell Janine , Connor Melissa , Duncan Mary , Mackay Will , Naqvi Jeff
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Work-integrated learning (WIL) poses legal, reputation, operational, strategic and financial risks for higher education providers (HEPs). The purpose of this paper is to explore how HEPs can manage five significant WIL risks involving intellectual property, student disability and medical conditions, the host organisation and the legal literacy of WIL practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a cross-institutional collaboration of WIL practitioners who explored risk management in WIL programmes. The case study is presented as a cross-case analysis to assist WIL stakeholders with evaluating their risk management frameworks. A description about the significance of the risk (in terms of causes and consequences), as well as practices to manage the risk, is presented under each of the five WIL risks.

Findings

WIL practitioners described a series of risk management practices in response to five significant risks in WIL programmes. Four themes underpinning these risk management practices – balance, collaboration, relationship management and resources – are conceptualised as characteristics that can serve as guiding principles for WIL stakeholders in risk management.

Practical implications

The findings can be applied by WIL stakeholders to evaluate and improve existing risk management frameworks, and to improve their legal literacy in relation to WIL. The study also demonstrates the capacity for collaborative research to address practice issues in WIL.

Originality/value

This is the first known study which employs a cross-institutional collaboration of WIL practitioners to contribute towards the body of knowledge examining risk management in WIL programmes.
Sexual harassment and customer-oriented boundary-spanning behaviors
Authors: Jung Hyo Sun , Yoon Hye Hyun
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the recognition of sexual harassment (SH); to describe the relationships among SH, employees’ burnout, customer-oriented boundary-spanning behaviors (COBSB); and to verify the moderating effect of employees’ psychological safety (PS), all within deluxe hotels in South Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

Prior to verifying the hypotheses, reliability and confirmatory factor analysis were managed, and correlation analysis was used to confirm the directionality between the hypotheses. The hypotheses were analyzed using a structural equation model and multi-group analysis was used to analyze the moderating effect.

Findings

Perceived SH was significantly related to employees’ burnout and COBSB. Also, the employees’ burnout was significantly related to COBSB. The moderating effect was significant; low PS greatly increased relative to the effects of SH on COBSB.

Originality/value

All types of companies consider unethical behaviors, such as SH in the workplace, as crucial problems that degrade the individual quality of life, and some firms have devised active measures to prevent and relieve damages. Companies should implement employee-centered policies that enable employees, the victims, to formally report and testify to what they have suffered from without revenge from their assailants. All the factors that contribute to the institutional control of SH within the working environment should be taken into consideration, and strict standards should be applied on a company level by criminalizing such behaviors. Employees should be trained on how to effectively cope with diverse types of SH.
The role of innovation and institutions in entrepreneurship and economic growth in two groups of countries
Authors: Galindo-Martín Miguel-Angel , Méndez-Picazo María-Teresa , Castaño-Martínez María-Soledad
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Economic growth is one the most relevant economic objectives for policy makers. In order to determine the variables that enhance such an objective it is important to consider different types of entrepreneurial activity. It is also necessary to consider the level of development and growth of a country to design the proper economic policy measures, given that entrepreneurship motivations and circumstances vary from country to country. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth, including the role played by institutions and innovation considering two types of entrepreneurship (necessity and opportunity) and countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Data analysis of 31 countries with varying levels of growth and development yielded two large groups – either innovation-driven economies or efficiency-driven economies – following GEM classification based on the phases set out by the World Economic Forum. In order to test the hypotheses, a partial least squares analysis is carried out to show the existing relationships between the different variables, specifically: innovation, institutions, entrepreneurship and economic growth.

Findings

The empirical analysis used demonstrates that innovation positively affects economic growth and entrepreneurship. In addition, adequate functioning of institutions is shown to enhance economic growth and opportunity entrepreneurship. Finally, there is a positive relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth.

Originality/value

Unlike other studies, different types of entrepreneurship (by necessity and opportunity) are essential to this analysis of the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth. The country sample was divided considering some country-specific structural circumstances. Neither aspect is considered in the literature and should be considered relevant for designing measures to enhance economic activity.
Entrepreneurship in the digital press: a semantic analysis
Authors: Martí-Sánchez Myriam , Cervantes-Zacarés Desamparados , Ortigosa-Blanch Arturo
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how the media addresses entrepreneurship and to identify the attributes linked to this phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample is defined in terms of a linguistic corpus comprised of content related to entrepreneurship drawn from the digital editions of the three most important Spanish economic newspapers for the period 2010–2017. Word association and co-occurrence analyses were carried out. Further, a non-supervised clustering process was used as the basis for a thematic analysis.

Findings

Correspondence between social and media patterns related to the entrepreneurship phenomenon is revealed by the results. It is shown how attributes such as “success”, “innovation”, “ecosystem” and “woman” appear as very relevant and are linked to different co-occurrence scenarios. Relevant thematic groups are also identified related to lexical associations such as innovation, digital economy and public policies linked to entrepreneurship.

Research limitations/implications

It is important to emphasise that this study has identified and explored relationships between words, but not their evolution. Furthermore, conclusions cannot be drawn concerning whether there are differences in how each newspaper has dealt with entrepreneurship because of the way the corpus was constructed.

Originality/value

The study provides empirical evidence that helps to identify the way media approaches entrepreneurship. The authors carried out the analysis on the media contents and not on the perception of the public on the phenomenon.
Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intentions
Authors: Santos Susana C. , Liguori Eric W.
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Building on social career cognitive theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate outcome expectations as a mediator and subjective norms as a moderator in the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 1,026 students from US public and private universities retrieved from the Entrepreneurship Education Project, this study tests a first-stage moderated mediation model in a two-step process.

Findings

Results show that entrepreneurial self-efficacy is positively related to entrepreneurial intentions through the partial mediating effect of entrepreneurial outcome expectations, and that this relationship is consistently significant and positive for individuals with lower, average and higher subjective norms towards entrepreneurship.

Research limitations/implications

These findings contribute to the literature on entrepreneurial intentions by providing a comprehensive overlook on the mechanisms and boundary conditions relevant for intentions.

Practical implications

These results reinforce the need for educators and policy makers to ensure programs manage outcome expectations and recognize the role of peer, parent and mentor role models on the construction of these expectations and, consequently, on entrepreneurial intentions.

Originality/value

Exploring the combined effect of entrepreneurial outcome expectations as a mechanism and subjective norms as boundary conditions on the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions is an unexplored issue to date, and helps to understand how and why entrepreneurial intentions emerge.
Learning from others via team conflicts
Authors: Wang Wei-Tsong , Lai Wen-Yi , Lu Chih-Tsen
Published: December 2019

Purpose

While it is important for entrepreneurship educators to understand the dynamics behind the formation of an individual entrepreneurial identity, challenges remain if they are to facilitate this process. Furthermore, while managing conflicts in entrepreneurial teams is a key to effective entrepreneurial learning, very few studies have focused on the relationships between individual entrepreneurial characteristics, interpersonal conflicts and the construction of an individual entrepreneurial identity. The purpose of this paper is to explore these relationships in a learning-by-doing educational context.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts an in-depth dual case study design to explore the relationships between individual characteristics, interpersonal conflicts and the construction of individual entrepreneurial identity in a learning-by-doing entrepreneurship educational context.

Findings

A theoretical framework that addresses the construction of the entrepreneurial identity of entrepreneurial team members in a learning-by-doing environment from the perspectives of conflicts and entrepreneurial characteristics is developed.

Research limitations/implications

The research findings illustrate the influence of differences in individuals’ entrepreneurial characteristics on the occurrence of interpersonal task and relationship conflicts and, consequently, on individuals’ entrepreneurial identity. A number of intervening factors that mediate the relationships between entrepreneurial characteristics, interpersonal conflicts and entrepreneurial identity are also identified.

Originality/value

This study is among the first research efforts to connect individual entrepreneurial characteristics, interpersonal conflicts and the construction of the individual entrepreneurial identity.
Principal and teacher instructional leadership: a cultural shift
Authors: Ezzani Miriam D.
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper (case study) is to capture a novel school culture that values instructional leadership (school leaders and teachers) and serves students in ways that create a culturally responsive and socially just schooling environment.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative methodology was best suited for the collection and analysis of data with the hope that the study will assist practitioners in seeing the connective threads that bind school leaders, teachers, students and parents in an organizational cultural shift that is student focused. Interviews and observations of professional learning communities, meetings and classrooms were the types of data collected and analyzed.

Findings

The principal and assistant principal were professionally and ethically challenged with an all too familiar problem – 30 percent of their Latinx and economically disadvantaged students scored below proficient in reading comprehension. To address this opportunity gap, consideration was given to data-informed decision-making; professional learning communities; and distributed leadership for social justice. Findings suggested that problems of practice are solved when educators engage in a continuous culture of learning through authentic dialogue focused on student data with an eye on equity.

Originality/value

Although research demonstrates that school improvement works best when principals distribute leadership to teachers, principals tend to maintain the share of the responsibility. Examples of instructional leadership beyond the school principal are rare. This case study provides an example of how principals can build leadership capacity in teachers and develop them to be instructional leaders.
Assessing Google reviews to monitor student experience
Authors: Shah Mahsood , Pabel Anja , Martin-Sardesai Ann
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The emergence of social media has provided an alternative mechanism for students to provide and access online reviews about universities. These forms of feedback are often not systematically monitored and interpreted by universities. The purpose of this paper is to analyse quantitative ratings and qualitative comments provided by students via Google reviews of 40 Australian universities. The qualitative comments were analysed via thematic coding which identified four key themes including quality of teaching, course design, learning environment and administrative support. The data were also subjected to automated content analysis using the text analytics software Leximancer to enhance the objectivity and reliability of findings.

Design/methodology/approach

The study involved the extraction of quantitative ratings as well as qualitative comments from Google reviews of 40 Australian universities. Each university was searched on Google and their rating and comments were collected as of August 2019. The qualitative data were included in an Excel spreadsheet along with the name of the universities, and their quantitative ratings. Using thematic coding techniques, the qualitative data were manually coded into four themes: quality of teaching, course design, learning environment and administrative support. Furthermore, the qualitative comments were grouped into two categories: positive comments and negative comments.

Findings

The paper argues the need for universities to actively monitor these new forms of student feedback which have provided autonomy and freedom for students and other stakeholders to access and provide 24/7 feedback. The study found common themes emerging from the positive and negative student comments related to: quality of teaching, course design, learning environments and administrative support. These aspects contributed to the students’ satisfaction levels when they reflected on their educational experience on Google reviews. The study also found that institutions with high numbers of negative comments tend to have lower ratings compared to those with positive comments.

Research limitations/implications

The study did not use other learning analytic tools to measure and assess the feedback from students using social media and other forms of feedback.

Originality/value

Many studies have been undertaken on student experience. Studies have focussed on the experience of home and international students, on-campus and online students, and students from various underrepresented backgrounds. So far no study has been undertaken on the reviews provided by students using Google reviews.
High-performance work practices and organizational performance in Pakistan
Authors: Ahmad Mansoor , Raziq Muhammad Mustafa , Rehman Wali ur , Allen Matthew M.C.
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Research on the relationship between high-performance workplace practices (HPWPs) and organizational performance has largely focussed on western settings, limiting the knowledge of how these systems influence performance in other countries, including Pakistan. Universalistic assumptions underpin the HPWP paradigm; to examine the validity of these assumptions, the purpose of this paper is to study the links between HPWP and performance in Pakistan, a country with different cultural norms and institutional settings to those in which most research has been conducted.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors draw on a unique survey of 392 establishment managers in the banking, pharmaceutical and information technology sectors. The authors include managers of foreign-owned multinational subsidiaries and domestic firms to ensure the sample represents firms in Pakistan.

Findings

The authors find that some individual HPWPs (recruitment and training) are associated in a statistically significant way with lower labour turnover, higher productivity and higher financial performance. Employee involvement is associated with lower labour turnover and higher labour productivity. Compensation is associated with higher financial performance. None is linked to higher labour turnover, lower productivity or lower financial performance in a statistically significant way. Performance appraisal was not statistically significantly associated with any of the three outcome variables.

Originality/value

The results provide some relatively strong support for universalistic assumptions, but also highlight the need for future research to examine the variable links of some HPWPs and the lack of any association for the performance appraisal measure.
Do performance measures matter in the relationship between high-performance work system and organizational performance?
Authors: Zhai Xiaoxuan , Tian Xiaowen
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a resource-based framework to explain the relationship between high-performance work system (HPWS) and organizational performance (OP) and the moderating role of performance measures.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes a meta-analysis approach, and tests hypotheses against data of 47,741 firms and establishments in 192 studies published by June 2016.

Findings

The paper finds that HPWS has a greater positive effect on operational than financial performance. Moreover, HPWS influences operational performance more strongly in developing than advanced countries and at the firm level than the establishment level, but such variations are not evident in the effect of HPWS on financial performance.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that managers should treat human resource management (HRM) practices as a system, and develop HPWS for operational gains which in turn lead to financial gains. Managers need to take different approaches to develop HPWS for high performance depending on the country of origin and the level of organization.

Originality/value

Based on studies of individual HRM practices, previous meta-analytical studies suggested that the HPWS-OP relationship is invariant across performance measures. Taking HRM practices as integral components of HPWS, this paper extends the resource-based theory to demonstrate that performance measures interact with country of origin and level of analysis to moderate the HPWS-OP relationship.
Assessing employers’ satisfaction with Indian engineering graduates using expectancy-disconfirmation theory
Authors: Sinha Saitab , Jawahar I.M. , Ghosh Piyali , Mishra Ashutosh
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Casting employers as customers, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between expectations, perceptions and disconfirmation beliefs with the satisfaction of employers regarding the competencies possessed by fresh engineering graduates hired by such employers in the Indian context.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data collected from 284 employers, the authors have hypothesized and examined a partial mediation model in which disconfirmation beliefs mediate the relationships between expectations and perceptions, and employer satisfaction. Furthermore, the authors have tested if this mediated relationship is moderated by the age and sex of respondents representing employers.

Findings

Results indicate that employers’ satisfaction can be explained from the framework of the expectancy-disconfirmation theory. Employers’ expectations and perceptions are established to be associated with employers’ satisfaction with new hires, and positive disconfirmation mediates these relationships. Results also indicate that age moderates the effect of predictor variables employers’ expectations and employers’ perception on the mediator disconfirmation. Sex, however, did not moderate any relationship.

Practical implications

The results demonstrate the usefulness of the expectancy-disconfirmation theory for studying employer satisfaction with competencies of recent engineering graduates in India. Findings are relevant to multiple stakeholders including employers hiring engineering graduates, engineers and technical institutions.

Originality/value

Expectancy-disconfirmation theory has been successfully applied to measure customer satisfaction in consumer behaviour research, while satisfaction of employers has been studied in the field of organizational behaviour. The paper stands out in the literature as one of its major implications is to extend the expectancy-disconfirmation theory to predict employers’ satisfaction.
Understanding the achieving styles of Chinese millennials and implications on HRM policy
Authors: Zhao Yixuan , Xu Qin
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Matching with the timeline of major events in China, as well as major shifts in China’s human research management, the purpose of this paper is to present the comparisons of achieving styles among Chinese millennial employees, millennial university students and Generation X employees.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing from the achieving styles literature as well as the life course theory, this study first proposes hypotheses on specific differences in nine achieving styles. The authors tested by using data from 889 millennial employees and 364 millennial students from five cities in China.

Findings

The results showed that the power direct achieving style stood out for the Chinese millennials, and the competitive direct achieving style ranked higher for Generation X. Moreover, millennial employees had higher scores for all nine achieving styles than millennial students.

Practical implications

This study advises that when motivating Chinese millennial employees, human resource managers can create a competitive environment and provide career planning guidance, and that to better assist millennial university students to socialize, human resource managers can develop matched internship programs.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the life course literature and the achieving styles literature by comparing the differences among Chinese millennial employees, university students and Generation X.
How does green talent influence China’s economic growth?
Authors: Song Malin , Xie Qianjiao
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of the green talent dividend on China’s economic growth and regional differences using a theoretical derivation of the Cobb–Douglas production function.

Design/methodology/approach

This study develops a measurement model with human capital based on Chinese inter-provincial panel data for 2001–2017, and analyzes the influences on economic growth of employees’ education level, per capita material capital, green labor participation rate and green jobs. The study explores the impact of the green talent dividend on regional economic growth for different regions.

Findings

Employees’ education level, per capita material capital, green labor participation rate and green jobs promote China’s economic growth. The dependency ratio hinders economic growth. The green labor participation rate impacts economic growth more than green jobs do. Furthermore, the scale of green talent in China and its dividend effect are regionally unbalanced. Therefore, to fully release the dividend of green talent, the green labor participation rate should be improved to promote the rational flow of talent among regions.

Practical implications

These findings shed light on the talent dividend, provide a theoretical basis for the formulation of relevant talent policies, and show that the demographic dividend can be transformed into the green talent dividend, which has practical significance for the sustainable development of China’s economy given its aging population.

Originality/value

This study provides a macro perspective on the green talent dividend’s impact on economic growth. The Cobb–Douglas production function in this study differs from the traditional micro perspective on green labor.
Do stereotypes about older workers change? A panel study on changing attitudes of managers
Authors: van Dalen Hendrik P. , Henkens Kène
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to see whether attitudes toward older workers by managers change over time and what might explain development over time.

Design/methodology/approach

A unique panel study of Dutch managers is used to track the development of their attitudes toward older workers over time (2010–2013) by focusing on a set of qualities of older workers aged 50 and older. A conditional change model is used to explain the variation in changes by focusing on characteristics of the manager (age, education, gender, tenure and contact with older workers) and of the firm (composition staff, type of work and sector, size).

Findings

Managers have significantly adjusted their views on the so-called “soft skills” of older workers, like reliability and loyalty. Attitudes toward “hard skills” – like physical stamina, new tech skills and willingness to train – have not changed. Important drivers behind these changes are the age of the manager – the older the manager, the more likely a positive change in attitude toward older workers can be observed – and the change in the quality of contact with older workers. A deterioration of the managers’ relationship with older workers tends to correspond with a decline in their assessment of soft and hard skills.

Social implications

Attitudes are not very susceptible to change but this study shows that a significant change can be expected simply from the fact that managers age: older managers tend to have a more positive assessment of the hard and soft skills of older workers than young managers.

Originality/value

This paper offers novel insights into the question whether stereotypes of managers change over time.
Ageism and perceived job sustainability: a comparative European analysis
Authors: Zhang Mengyang , Gibney Sarah
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the association between experiencing ageism in the workplace and working conditions on perceived job sustainability among current workers aged 40 and over in Europe, within the context of positive and active ageing strategies and programmes.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are from the 6th round of the European Working Conditions Survey (n=22,229), and the analytical sample contains adults aged 40 and older in 28 European Member States grouped by employment regime: social-democratic regime, corporatist regime, liberal regime, Southern European regime, post-socialist corporatist regime and post-socialist liberal regime. Perceived job sustainability estimated based on whether the respondent thinks (yes/no) that they can do their current job or similar role until the age of 60 or in next five years if the respondent is aged 56 and over. Experience of ageism in the workplace (yes/no) is self-reported. Generalised structural equation modelling was used to control for both individual- and organisational-level influences and to correct for potential endogeneity in estimating the impact of experienced ageism on perceived job sustainability. In addition, employment regimes are included in the model to investigate differences in this relationship by setting.

Findings

Adults who have not experienced ageism are more likely to have positive perceptions of job sustainability, net of other factors and employment regime. Job sustainability is positively associated with age, being male, being in good health status and higher levels of work satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study is that data are cross-sectional, and time variant factors and individual fixed characteristics are excluded from the estimation. The results are influenced by the self-reported data about experienced ageism and evaluation of workplace environment, which may lead to potential endogeneity caused by unobservable personal characteristics such as personality type.

Originality/value

Although the average reported prevalence of ageism in the workplace is 3.4 per cent across the 28 European Union Member States, this study shows that ageism imposes significant negative influence on current workers. This study has highlighted the interrelationship between ageism, workplace satisfaction and job sustainability in this comparative setting. Efforts to reduce ageism in the workplace are likely to lead to improved working conditions and job sustainability.
Employers’ age-related norms, stereotypes and ageist preferences in employment
Authors: Oude Mulders Jaap
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Social norms about the timing of retirement and stereotypes about qualities of younger and older workers are pervasive, but it is unclear how they relate to employers’ ageist preferences. The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of employers’ retirement age norms and age-related stereotypes on their preferences for younger or older workers in three types of employment practices: hiring a new employee; offering training; and offering a permanent contract.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data from 960 Dutch employers from 2017 are analysed to study employers’ preferences for younger or older workers. Effects of organisations’ and managers’ characteristics, retirement age norms and stereotypes are estimated with multinomial logistic regression analyses.

Findings

Many employers have a strong preference for younger workers, especially when hiring a new employee, while preferences for older workers are highly uncommon. Higher retirement age norms of employers are related to a lower preference for younger workers in all employment decisions. When employers are more positive about older workers’ soft qualities (such as reliability and social skills), but not about their hard qualities (such as their physical capacity and willingness to learn), they rate older workers relatively more favourable for hiring and offering training, but not for providing a permanent contract.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to estimate the effects of retirement age norms and age-related stereotypes on ageist preferences for a diverse set of employment practices.
A tool to systematise discrimination in labour market integration
Authors: Naegele Laura , De Tavernier Wouter , Hess Moritz , Frerichs Frerich
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discourse on labour market discrimination by introducing an analytical process model that offers a template for the systematic analysis of discrimination within the process of labour market integration. Its usage and contribution to the field is exemplified by applying the proposed model to the case of ageism in labour market integration.

Design/methodology/approach

Five phases and four actors are distinguished that, added together, compose the proposed analytical process model. In the following, the model is used as an analytical framework for a mapping review, aimed at identifying and critically evaluating the vast and extensive literature on ageism in the process of labour market integration.

Findings

The paper concludes that ageism occurs in all five phases of the integration process, pinpointing potential areas for policy interventions. Furthermore, the authors conclude that the existing literature on ageism in labour market integration is fragmented, with some elements and/or actors within the process so far having received little attention.

Originality/value

The analytical process model developed in this paper provides the scientific community with a tool to systematise the literature, detect underlying mechanisms and uncover existing research gaps, not only for the case of ageism presented here, but for a vast variety of other –isms. In addition, policy makers, trade unions and employers can use the model to better target and tailor anti-discrimination measures in labour market integration.
Modeling tool wear in titanium cutting with an in-process tribometer
Authors: Meier Linus , Eglin Michael
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Metalworking fluids can significantly increase the tool life in titanium cutting, however, full-scale cutting tests to determine the performance of metalworking fluid are expensive. The aim of this study is therefore to introduce a reliable and inexpensive alternative testing method.

Design/methodology/approach

A newly developed in-process tribometer allows emulating the sliding conditions of the chip formed in cutting as closely as possible. It uses a cutting action in front of a pin to eliminate the influence of the oxidation layer. To observe the wear pattern on the pin, adhering workpiece material is removed by selective etching. A high temperature oxidation test is used to study the wear mechanism.

Findings

The wear pattern on the pin correlates well with the wear pattern observed on cutting tools when using the same metalworking fluid while being much more cost-effective than a tool life test. The high temperature oxidation test reveals that cobalt leaching is causing notch wear.

Research limitations/implications

The correlation between pin and tool wear is verified for the case of roughing turning of titanium with cemented carbide tools and two metalworking fluids.

Practical implications

The method is applicable in an industrial context, potentially replacing the currently used tribological analyzes.

Social implications

Submitted in connection with the special issue “young tribologists – insights into the work of the new generation”.

Originality/value

Methods tailored to model the tool wear in titanium cutting are rare. For the first time, an in-process tribometer, which is especially suited for the analysis of titanium cutting, is used to assess the wear behavior. The design of the high temperature oxidation test is new.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-08-2019-0311
How global brands incorporate local cultural elements to improve brand evaluations
Authors: Nie Chunyan , Wang Tao
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the interpretation strategy of cultural mixing on consumers’ evaluations of global brands that incorporate local cultural elements. Specifically, this paper examines whether a property interpretation and a relational interpretation have different influences on consumers’ evaluations of global brands that incorporate local cultural elements.

Design/methodology/approach

Two experiments were conducted as part of this research. Experiment 1 adopted a two (interpretation strategy: property interpretation vs relational interpretation) single-factor between-subjects design. Experiment 2 adopted a 2 (interpretation strategy: property interpretation vs relational interpretation) × 2 (polyculturalist beliefs: high vs low) between-subjects design. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and PROCESS 213.

Findings

A property interpretation (emphasizing that some features of a global brand transfer to local cultural elements) leads to a less favorable evaluation of global brands that incorporate local cultural elements than a relational interpretation (emphasizing a relation between global brands and local cultural elements). This effect is fully mediated by perceived cultural intrusion, and it exists only when consumers have a low level of polyculturalist beliefs.

Originality/value

This paper reveals that the phenomenon of cultural mixing occurs when global brands incorporate local cultural elements. In addition, the way that consumers perceive the relationship between global brands and local cultural elements will determine their reactions to global brands that incorporate local cultural elements.
Digitalization of companies in international entrepreneurship and marketing
Authors: Vadana Ioan-Iustin , Torkkeli Lasse , Kuivalainen Olli , Saarenketo Sami
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Little research has been done on the emergence of companies that engage in increasingly digital entrepreneurship with digitalized value-chain activities. The purpose of this paper is provide a consistent picture of how value-chain digitalization affects companies’ internationalization and international marketing (IM), and give insights regarding the influence of the degree of value-chain digitalization on the level of internationalization.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper takes an explorative approach based on a literature review and uses a conceptual analysis and research framework to empirically classify digitalized/-ing companies.

Findings

This study finds ways to classify the internationalization of companies according to the degree of digitalization of their value-chain. The more these companies use internet hardware infrastructure and web and mobile software technologies, the better they can leverage their foreign assets, achieving a higher share of foreign sales with relatively limited foreign assets.

Research limitations/implications

The results enrich the literature on internationalization and IM and entrepreneurship to explain companies that are distinctly digitalized across their value-chain activities.

Practical implications

This research provides evidence for companies regarding digitalization of the value-chain to facilitate entrepreneurial opportunities and offer rapid, efficient and affordable internationalization.

Originality/value

This research tackles a novel phenomenon by analyzing companies’ value-chain digitalization in relation to their degree of internationalization and IM.