bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benchmarking the outsourcing factors of third-party logistics services selection: analysing influential strength and building a sustainable decision model
Authors: Khan Sharfuddin Ahmed , Alkhatib Shahed , Ammar Zaina , Moktadir Md. Abdul , Kumar Anil
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Outsourcings always affect crucial supply chain functions concerning flexibility and cost. During the decision to outsource and consider third-party logistics service provider selection, decision-makers need to pay more attention to certain critical outsourcing factors such as coordination, integration and cooperation as these key factors are essential to improve overall supply chain performance. The main purpose of this work is to identify the inter-relations among outsourcing decision factors to highlight the most important and influential factors that should be considered and carefully thought through when making outsourcing sustainable decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-phased methodology has been used in this study. In the first phase, outsourcing decision factors are identified from existing literature and validated by decision-makers from industry and academia. To understand the influential strength and build a sustainable model, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method is used. A courier company in the UAE is considered for implementation.

Findings

All identified and validated factors are segregated into two categories (cause and effect). The result shows that the most influential factors are developing strategic alliances, uncertainty and risk mitigation and deficiency of internal resources for a service.

Practical implications

There are several insights for industry managers and practitioners. The results of the study may help practitioners and logistics managers to make the logistics service sustainable and more efficient for businesses.

Originality/value

This study focusses on a courier company to understand the interdependencies among outsourcing decision factors; this is unique in this field of literature.
The effect of abusive supervision on safety behaviour of Chinese underground miners: a multi-level moderated mediation analysis
Authors: Ye Xinfeng , Cai Shaohan , Wang Zhining
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Prior research has suggested that abusive supervision has negative impacts on various work outcomes. However, little attention has been paid to the relationship between abusive supervision and employees’ safety behaviour. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to address these limitations by developing and testing a theoretically based conceptual model that explicitly considers the underlying mechanism and boundary condition of the relationship between abusive supervision and safety behaviour of underground coal miners in China.

Design/methodology/approach

At Time 1, the authors conducted a survey of 630 employees to assess their supervisors’ abusive leadership behaviours, their own power distance beliefs and their self-reflection. At Time 2, the authros sent questionnaires to the leaders and invited them to evaluate employees’ safety behaviour in the workplace. After cleaning the survey data, the authors tested our model using a multi-level analysis on a sample (n = 458) of underground miners across 96 coal mining sites in China.

Findings

The authors propose that abusive supervision decreases employees’ safety compliance/participation by reducing reflection but strengthening rumination. The authors further find that the linkage from abusive supervision to reflection/rumination to safety compliance/participation is affected by power distance.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, This is one of the first empirical studies to investigate the mediating effects of a deep cognitive processing variable – namely, self-reflection – and the moderating effects of power distance on the relationship between abusive supervision and safety behaviour.
Efficient partial product reduction for image processing application using approximate 4:2 compressor
Authors: Kattekola Naresh , Jawale Amol , Nath Pallab Kumar , Majumdar Shubhankar
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to improve the performance of approximate multiplier in terms of peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) and quality of the image.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper proposes an approximate circuit for 4:2 compressor, which shows a significant amount of improvement in performance metrics than that of the existing designs. This paper also reports a hybrid architecture for the Dadda multiplier, which incorporates proposed 4:2 compressor circuit as a basic building block.

Findings

Hybrid Dadda multiplier architecture is used in a median filter for image de-noising application and achieved 20% more PSNR than that of the best available designs.

Originality/value

The proposed 4:2 compressor improves the error metrics of a Hybrid Dadda multiplier.
Application of cloud technology in digital cultural heritage: an analysis of public culture cloud platforms in China
Authors: Wanyan Dengdeng , Shang Tong
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the significant advantages of cloud technology in digital cultural heritage construction by analyzing public culture cloud platforms in China. The authors hope to provide references for other countries and regions on the applications of cloud computing techniques in digital cultural construction.

Design/methodology/approach

The primary research methods involved interview and case analysis. A comprehensive understanding of cloud technology and China’s culture cloud platforms were gained through research into extensive amounts of literature. Analyzing 21 culture cloud platforms offers a general understanding of culture clouds, while the Hunan Public Culture Cloud acts as a representative sample that gives detailed insight.

Findings

This paper explores the considerable advantages of cloud computing in digital cultural construction from four aspects: integration of decentralized heterogeneous resources, coordination and cooperation, accurately matching user needs and promotion of balanced service development.

Originality/value

Existing studies fall short of comprehensive investigations of culture cloud platforms and in-depth analysis of the advantages of cloud technology applications. This paper uses the construction of public culture cloud platforms in China as the research object. Further, this paper compares the construction status of different culture cloud platforms.
Human flourishing: an enabler of entrepreneurial intention in Latin American students
Authors: Silveyra Geraldina , Rodríguez-Aceves Lucía , Charles-Leija Humberto , Saiz-Álvarez José Manuel
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This study aims to propose a causal relationship between the level of students’ human flourishing (HF) and their entrepreneurial intention (EI) and the mediation role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE).

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a sample of 5,035 first-year university students who graduated from 950 different upper secondary schools in Mexico and abroad. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results reveal that HF increases EI and ESE; ESE positively impacts EI; and the student’s ESE partially mediates the HF-EI relationship.

Practical implications

These findings may improve educational strategies in upper secondary schools and higher education institutions’ management programmes to impact graduates’ HF and EI. To the knowledge, the authors are the first to measure how HF in upper secondary school graduates contributes to increasing their EI.

Social implications

Recommendations are made to increase Latin American students’ HF and EI.

Originality/value

The authors propose an inverse relationship between HF and EI, as HF can be enhanced in upper secondary education to boost EI later in students’ lives.
Innovation strategy beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of trust under disruptive technology
Authors: Pratono Aluisius Hery
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to understand how firms promote innovation under disruptive technology by exploring the role of trust and risk-taking behaviour in enhancing product development towards competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes a structural equation model that entails seven hypotheses for the constructs and their relationship with support from the previous literature. The empirical analysis involves a survey of the 390 small firms in Indonesia to generate four scenarios following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

The evidence indicates that trust allows the firms to take a risk for new product development, which is, in turn, help to achieve their competitive advantage. However, the impact of product development on competitive advantage varies depending on the capability of the firms to deal with the information technological turbulence.

Research limitations/implications

This study adopted the concept of trust at the organisational level and did not cover the concept of trust at the family and community levels. Secondly, this study focusses on small and medium-sized enterprises as unit analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results depend on the subject of study, which could be different from the normal condition.

Practical implications

This study provides four scenarios of foresight innovation strategy, which allow the firms to deal with various plausible futures. The proposed model devise strategies to prepare a strategy in the face of uncertainty. The findings encourage the firms to cultivate trust from their business partners to create innovation.

Originality/value

This study extends the discussion on how innovativeness leads to firm competitive advantage by examining the role of trust and risk-taking behaviour in product development under information technological turbulence. The results confirm the integration between social capital theory and the contingency approach.
Triple-strength model of female auditors empowerment in Iran
Authors: Hidari Mojtaba , Valiyan Hasan , Abdoli Mohammadreza , Koushki Jahromi Alireza
Published: September 2021

Purpose

As one of the dominant features in developing countries, gender inequality has driven individual development and the promotion of skills, behavioral and social competencies largely based on the male gender. The audit profession is considered one of the jobs where gender inequality exists, especially in developing countries. This has made educational programs more inclined toward enhancing masculine abilities, followed by less well-regarded feminine functions in the field. This study aims to present a triple-strength model of female auditors empowerment in Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a goal-oriented, descriptive-applied developmental research and a mix of data types. In the qualitative section, the three-dimensional empowerment proposition of women working in the field of internal auditing (IA) were identified based on the Dacum model approach participated by 15 research experts, using cross-sectional and Delphi analyses. A total interpretive structural model analysis was performed with the participation of 20 women as internal auditors of companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).

Findings

The purpose of this analysis was to prioritize the spectrum of the most influential indices of empowerment of female auditors in educational planning to the least effective ones in the form of the research model and to examine the relationships between them based on matrix comparisons. According to the results, 17 indices reached theoretical adequacy during the 2 rounds of Delphi analysis out of the initial 19 indices in the cross-mix analysis.

Originality/value

The results of the interpretive/structural analysis indicated that educational planning was selected to balance the other roles of women as internal auditors, and the most influential Dacum proposition was to enhance the capabilities of women in IA in listed companies in TSE.
Condition assessment model of building indoor environment: a case study on educational buildings
Authors: Eweda Ahmed , Al-Sakkaf Abobakr , Zayed Tarek , Alkass Sabah
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a condition assessment (CA) model for a building's indoor 21 environments and to improve the building's asset management process.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is based on dividing the building into spaces, which are the principal evaluated elements based on the building's indoor environmental quality (IEQ). An evaluation scheme was prepared for the identified factors and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique was used to calculate the relative weight of each space inside the building as well as the contribution of each IEQ factors (IEQFs) in the overall environmental condition of each space inside the building. The multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) was then applied to assess the environmental conditions of the building as a whole and its spaces. An educational building in Canada was evaluated using the developed model.

Findings

Each space type was found to have its own IEQFs weights, which confirms the hypothesis that the importance and allocation of each IEQF are dependent on the function and tasks carried out in each space. A similar indoor environmental assessment score was calculated using the developed model and the building CA conducted by the facility management team; “89%” was calculated, using K-mean clustering, for the physical and environmental conditions.

Originality/value

IEQ affects occupants' assessment of their quality of life (QOL). Despite the existence of IEQ evaluation models that correlate the building's IEQ and the occupants' perceived indoor assessments, some limitations have led to the necessity of developing a comprehensive model that integrates all factors and their sub-criteria in an assessment scheme that converts all the indoor environmental factors into objective metrics.
Research on collaborative governance mechanism of academic ecological environment under the background of crowd intellectual thinking
Authors: He Yi , Ma Linlin , Wang Yanan
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to use intellectual thinking to solve the problem of how to carry out collaborative governance of the academic ecological environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper selected academic ecosystem, academic ecological environment and academic ecological governance as three keywords to collect literature data. The hot issues on the academic ecological environment and its governance system in China are analyzed, with visualization software such as Citespace, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and other literature metrology tools.

Findings

The previous research literature cannot fully explain the governance mechanism of the academic ecological environment. In this paper, the authors use the way of group cooperation thinking in the crowd science category, to build a collaborative governance framework of the academic ecological environment from the national level, the institutional level and the individual level, taking full advantage of the in-depth analysis on crowd intellectual thinking.

Originality/value

The authors use the way of group cooperation thinking in the crowd science category, to build a collaborative governance framework of academic.
Socially responsible teaching of entrepreneurship: exploring the unfavorable aspects of entrepreneurial action
Authors: De Sordi José Osvaldo , Paulo Wanderlei Lima , Gonçalves Mirian Siqueira , Azevedo Marcia Carvalho de , Coda Roberto
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether, in entrepreneurship disciplines, professors address equally the positive and negative aspects associated with being an entrepreneur. The literature shows that entrepreneurship professors are enthusiastic about entrepreneurial action, and there may be a bias toward predominant emphasis on positive aspects.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study strategy was used to analyze disciplines that qualify entrepreneurship professors. The content analysis technique was applied to the description of the discipline contents and texts from the most frequently used literatures. The selected case (the country) satisfied the condition of having a regulatory agency that evaluates courses and also provides descriptive records of the disciplines that are taught.

Findings

It was observed that the topics discussed in the disciplines, as well as the texts of the most frequently used articles, contain a higher volume of messages that are positive and favorable toward the entrepreneurial act. Negative effects or aspects of entrepreneurship are addressed superficially.

Practical implications

This article provides important reflections on the activities of those who teach entrepreneurship, as well as editors and reviewers of entrepreneurship journals. Regarding the former, when preparing the content of their disciplines, and for the latter, when evaluating articles, bearing in mind that their articles are also used by students and professors from countries with less developed economies.

Originality/value

Exploring the myths of entrepreneurship, especially the claim that everyone is capable of becoming an entrepreneur and that entrepreneurship promotes economic development, the risk of becoming an entrepreneur was addressed, especially in countries with less developed economies. From this viewpoint, issues regarding the responsible teaching of entrepreneurship were addressed, along with the need to focus equally on the favorable and unfavorable aspects of entrepreneurship.
Promoting international learning outcomes during a study abroad: the moderating role of internationalisation at home
Authors: Boonen Joris , Hoefnagels Ankie , Pluymaekers Mark , Odekerken Armand
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The authors examine the role of internationalisation at-home activities and an international classroom at a home institution to promote intercultural competence development during a study abroad.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use large scale longitudinal data from the global mind monitor (GMM) (2018–2020) to examine change over time in both multicultural personality (MPQ) and cultural knowledge (CQ) among students in Dutch higher education institutions. The authors analyse the moderating effect of the preparation in the home institution by looking at the added value of both intercultural communication courses and international classroom setting for intercultural competence development during a study abroad.

Findings

The results show that particularly courses on intercultural communication significantly promote intercultural competence development during a stay abroad. Frequent interactions with international staff also seem to be beneficial for this development.

Research limitations/implications

This study was conducted in the Netherlands, in one of the most internationalised educational systems in the world. Therefore, it is difficult to generalise these findings to other contexts before any further empirical research is conducted.

Practical implications

Based on the findings, the authors formulate practical advice for higher education institutions that aim to get the most out of the international learning outcomes of a study abroad.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to assess the moderating effect of preparatory internationalisation at home initiatives on the intercultural learning effects of international experiences later on in a study program. Other studies have proposed that these effects will exist but have not tested them empirically with longitudinal data.
Uncovering the role of competitor orientation and emotional capability in enhancing innovation performance
Authors: Arias-Pérez José , Alegre Joaquín , Villar Cristina
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Competitor orientation (CO) has been considered as a traditional driver of innovation performance (IP), being an important source of innovative ideas. Nevertheless, the slowness of the analytical information processing implicit in CO has been recently questioned in the literature, given the internal resistance in firms to use knowledge coming from rivals. Hence, the purpose of this study is to analyze the mediating effect of emotional capability (EC), which is believed to help overcome this barrier by improving the use of knowledge from such innovation source.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling through the partial least squares method was used to test the research model with survey data from a sample of 123 firms.

Findings

Contrary to what was assumed, EC mediation is partial and CO has a very significant and direct influence on IP. Nonetheless, the fact that EC mediation accounts for 28% of the total effect of CO on IP indicates that EC plays a complementary role in terms of making the information processing on rivals more agile and intuitive, as well as reducing internal resistance.

Practical implications

When competitor information is analyzed and used to improve innovation outcomes, a culture where first impressions or hunches expressed by employees must be encouraged and legitimized.

Originality/value

The development of EC is an alternative way of maximizing the exploitation of the competition as source of innovation. Ignoring its role implies wasting a representative percentage of the benefits of information coming from this external actor, thereby missing the opportunity to capitalize on innovation results.
The impact of abandoning social responsibility certifications: evidence from the decertification of SA8000 standard
Authors: Podrecca Matteo , Orzes Guido , Sartor Marco , Nassimbeni Guido
Published: September 2021

Purpose

In recent years, many companies have decided to decertify from their previously adopted corporate social responsibility (CSR) standards. The aim of this paper is to explore the phenomenon by focusing on the most important auditable CSR standard: Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000).

Design/methodology/approach

First, an event study is performed on a dataset composed of 136 SA8000 decertified public listed companies to analyse the possible relationship between certification, decertification and firms’ operating performance. Second, the authors shed light on the differences between 94 SA8000 (still) certified and the abovementioned 136 decertified firms. Finally, 10 interviews are conducted with decertified firms in the dataset to deepen the outcomes of the previous analyses.

Findings

The results show that, despite an initial positive effect in terms of sales and profitability, decertified companies experienced a reduction in productivity and profitability in the years following the certification, while positive outcomes emerged after the decertification. The study also highlights that certified and decertified firms differ in terms of home country, industry and labour intensity.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the literature by opening the debate on an important but unexplored research area: the decertification from the most popular CSR standard, i.e. SA8000, and its relationship with firms' performance. In doing this, it also highlights the main differences between decertified and certified companies.
Improving high lean team performance through aligned behaviour-value patterns and coactive vicarious learning-by-doing
Authors: van Dun Desirée H. , Wilderom Celeste P.M.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Why are some lean workfloor teams able to improve their already high performance, over time, and others not? By studying teams' and leaders' behaviour-value patterns, this abductive field study uncovers a dynamic capability at the team level.

Design/methodology/approach

Various methods were employed over three consecutive years to thoroughly examine five initially high-performing lean workfloor teams, including their leaders. These methods encompassed micro-behavioural coding of 59 h of film footage, surveys, individual and group interviews, participant observation and archival data, involving objective and perceptual team-performance indicators. Two of the five teams continued to improve and perform highly.

Findings

Continuously improving high lean team performance is found to be associated with (1) team behaviours such as frequent performance monitoring, information sharing, peer support and process improvement; (2) team leaders who balance, over time, task- and relations-oriented behaviours; (3) higher-level leaders who keep offering the team face-to-face support, strategic clarity and tangible resources; (4) these three actors' endorsement of self-transcendence and openness-to-change work values and alignment, over time, with their behaviours; and (5) coactive vicarious learning-by-doing as a “stable collective activity pattern” among team, team leader, and higher-level leadership.

Originality/value

Since lean has been undertheorised, the authors invoked insights from organisational behaviour and management theories, in combination with various fine- and coarse-grained data, over time. The authors uncovered actors' behaviour-value patterns and a collective learning-by-doing pattern that may explain continuous lean team performance improvement. Four theory-enriching propositions were developed and visualised in a refined model which may already benefit lean practitioners.
Research and development efforts in Indian pharmaceutical industry: How much does it matter?
Authors: Shivdas Avinash , Ray Sougata
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The economic value generated by a firm is determined by the efficient management of its resources within a given business environment. The Indian pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive and has attracted huge investments in research and development (R&D), including financing of biotechnological ventures, clinical trials, contract research activities in addition to traditional product development and filing of regulatory requirements. This study aims to identify the specific resources that are significant drivers of performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data analysis uses panel regression based on an extended version of the Cobb-Douglas production function, where the dependent variable firm performance is measured using annual sales whilst the independent variables include labour, capital, R&D investments and marketing efforts. This study uses data spanning a period of 7 years (2012–2018) collected from 151 Indian pharmaceutical firms.

Findings

Contrary to the general understanding that R&D investments tend to create profitable opportunities, it is observed that R&D expenditures have a negative impact on sales in the short to medium time period. This study also highlights the finding that in addition to the positive impact of labour and capital, marketing efforts are more likely to have a greater positive influence on firm performance than R&D.

Originality/value

The uniqueness of the paper lies not only in the counterintuitive findings but also in the methodology used to capture the impact of the lagged effect of R&D investments on firm performance. Specifically, a regression model-based both on panel data and time-series averages is used to examine the said impact.
Proposal for sustainability action archetypes for higher education institutions
Authors: Sanches Francisco Elíseo Fernandes , Campos Matheus Leite , Gaio Luiz Eduardo , Belli Marcio Marcelo
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Higher education institutions (HEIs) should assume their role as leaders in the search for a sustainable future. Consequently, such institutions need to incorporate sustainability into their activities. However, this needs to be done holistically and not with isolated and independent actions. Therefore, this study aims to develop a structure of sustainability action archetypes to help HEIs holistically incorporate sustainability in their strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review of the literature was conducted focusing on the subject of sustainability in HEIs.

Findings

A structure of sustainability action archetypes for HEIs was proposed. Further, based on scientific literature, examples of actions were presented within each archetype.

Practical implications

This study provides HEI administrators and other organizations with a practical structure to enable the systemic incorporation of sustainability objectives and actions into institutional activities.

Originality/value

This study adapts the tool “sustainable business model archetypes” for a new purpose. This tool was initially developed to classify innovations of sustainable business models.
Barriers to sustainability at Pakistan public universities and the way forward
Authors: Shah Bukhari Syed Kaleem Ullah , Said Hamdan , Gul Rani , Ibna Seraj Prodhan Mahbub
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Sustainability has globally become a mantra to address complex and unprecedented survival, social, political and peace issues. Higher education institutions bear responsibility to address them. This paper aims to explore barriers that Pakistani public universities (PPUs) face in embedding sustainability at their campuses. This paper also offers potential opportunities to take initiatives to minimize barriers and move towards a sustainable future.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on case study approach, and data were gathered through interviews and documents. Interviews with 11 academic administrators were conducted to gain deeper understanding on issues of governance and its influence on sustainability. Data were analysed using thematic analysis that created thematic map/model.

Findings

Key findings include, firstly, that majority of participants think poor governance is the biggest issue in demoting sustainability. This barrier causes an array of interconnected barriers. Secondly, participants strongly associate unsustainability with lack of institutional change and training. Finally, lack of resources was the most frequently articulated barrier. Findings provided a rationale to propose suggestions to promote sustainability.

Originality/value

Developed countries are leaders in promoting sustainability, whereas developing countries are laggards. Pakistan, a developing country, does not have substantial research to reveal the barriers PPUs are facing to promote sustainability. This paper is an attempt to address research gap in identifying barriers to sustainability.
Predictors and effects of scientific knowledge
Authors: Milošević-Đorđević Jasna , Kljajić Duško , Sladojević Matić Jelena , Đurić Živojin
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Scientific knowledge has been a topic of interest for scholars for a long time; however, its impact on scientific decision- making and determining trust is severely underresearched. This study is aimed at determining the relationship between cultural and social attitudes and scientific knowledge and the impact of knowledge on trust in scientists in general.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a face-to-face survey, drawing from a nationally representative sample of the adult Serbian population (N = 1,451). The authors tested the following parameters: a. the levels of scientific knowledge within the Serbian population; b. social and cultural values as predictors of scientific knowledge and c. the effects of scientific knowledge on trust in scientists.

Findings

The analysis shows a moderate level of scientific knowledge, predominantly positive public attitudes towards scientists. The authors found that scientific knowledge indeed predicts trust in scientists on various issues, and so do cultural and social worldviews, both directly and even more significantly through the mediation of scientific knowledge.

Originality/value

This is the first attempt to assess the level of scientific knowledge among the Serbian public and evaluate its, as well as other factors', influence on public attitudes toward scientists in a time when trusting experts is of great relevance.
Different social representations of the same belief in urban tourism cities in Southeast Asia and China
Authors: Chen Zhaoyu , Yang Jingjing
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This study aims to identify the role of this intangible cultural heritage (ICH) domain (i.e. social practices, rituals and festive events) in social representations in cross nations using the case of Mazu belief. This study also intends to compare the different social representations of the same religious belief among the regions and implies how ICH facilitates regional connections and its potential for urban tourism development.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a mix of qualitative approaches, such as desktop research, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and participant observations. These approaches can supplement one another in discovering the cultural context of the Mazu belief and the perceived meanings of its ritual practices.

Findings

Mazu ritual practices in the four identified cities have different social representations, as explicitly expressed from the informants on different forms of celebration. Despite the differences, Mazu belief is representative in placemaking and for regional connections. Not all four cities agree on the current status as embedded in tourism development. However, the key informants show a welcoming manner to the outsiders in participating and experiencing their practices.

Research limitations/implications

The research context of Mazu belief and customs can be extended to more urban cities, which practice this culture.

Practical implications

Different countries and regions that share the same belief can understand distinct social representations from one another. Practical collaborations can be expanded for cultural exchanges, especially the exploration of the role of religion played in boosting urban tourism development.

Social implications

Mazu belief and customs is a unique cultural asset in enhancing the social representations of Chinese expatriates overseas. Its cultural practices successfully enhance the cultural exchange and social cohesion among religious communities locally and internationally.

Originality/value

Using a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-inscribed ICH item with a large audience worldwide, this study supplements the theory of social representations in exploring the intangible cultural assets and highlights the role of ICH in urban tourism and regional and city planning.
Export market orientation and export performance in emerging markets: insights from the Peruvian agri-export sector
Authors: Malca Oscar , Bolaños Jean Pierre , Rubio Donet Jorge Luis , Acedo Francisco
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The objective of this research is to analyse the joint impact of export proactivity and coordination capacity as mediators on the relationship between export market orientation (EMO) and export performance and the relational norms and export continuity as EMO's antecedents.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses structural equation modelling for the analysis of 127 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the agri-export sector in Peru.

Findings

The research demonstrates the mediating role of export proactivity between EMO and export performance and the impact of relational norms as an antecedent of EMO as well as that of export continuity in export performance.

Research limitations/implications

The cross-sectional study design has certain limitations; thus, longitudinal research is necessary to analyse the evolution of the impact of these variables. Future research should also consider new variables, such as absorptive capacity and institutional distance, in relation to EMO and export performance in emerging markets.

Originality/value

This research paper provides a perspective that is an alternative to the traditional literature related to EMO since coordination capacity and export proactivity have been used as EMO's antecedents. However, in emerging countries, such as Peru, exports are based on comparative advantages. Under this context, it is necessary to analyse export proactivity and coordination capacity as mediators of the relationship between EMO and export performance and the relational norms and export continuity as EMO's antecedents.
Towards an agricultural entrepreneurship development model: an empirical investigation in Namibia’s agricultural communities
Authors: Bignotti Alex , Antonites Alex J. , Kavari Uapirama J.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Entrepreneurship is increasingly being recognised as a vehicle for bringing about the development of different economic sectors in various geographical regions, and it is believed to result in greater productivity and entrepreneurial performance in agriculture. To date, there are no empirically verified holistic models focussing on the development of agricultural entrepreneurship in an African context. This study aims to fill this gap by developing an agricultural entrepreneurial development model (AEDM) that provides a basis for enhancing entrepreneurial performance in the agriculture sector.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a holistic conceptual AEDM was built from the extant literature with a focus on the African context and encompassing dimension of the enabling environment, entrepreneurial performance and its outcomes. Then, the model was tested empirically by conducting a survey with 477 farmers in Namibia who benefit from Namibia’s National Resettlement Programme and the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme. The model was tested statistically using partial least square-structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results reveal that a supportive environment, entrepreneurial orientation and agricultural sustainability exert a positive impact on entrepreneurial performance in agriculture, which, in turn, leads to greater agricultural productivity and increased income for farmers.

Originality/value

The study theoretically develops and empirically tests a holistic model of agricultural entrepreneurship development. The value of the model lies in its consideration of a plethora of enabling-environment antecedents of entrepreneurial performance in agriculture, as well as some specific organisational- and individual-level outcomes thereof. Therefore, it offers policymakers and practitioners a blueprint for developing agricultural entrepreneurship in an African context.
Association between restrictive covenants and accounting conservatism: evidence from US public debt
Authors: Houaneb Amira , Houaneb amira , Ben Hassen Rim , Talbi Dorra
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between restrictive covenants and accounting conservatism. More specially, the authors try to explain how the use of restrictive covenants of public debt may affect accounting conservatism.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample is composed of non-financial firms and for each firm one debt contract is considered. The authors have used the Ball and Shivakumar (2005) models to test the relationships. All variables were retrieved from Mergent Fixed Investment Securities and COMPUSTAT Databases.

Findings

The findings of this study show that the more the firm relies on bond covenants, the higher is the degree of conservatism. The authors found also that these firms also exhibited a widely significantly increased level of conservatism in the years following the issuance of debt.

Research limitations/implications

The results should be interpreted with caution because the use of covenants does not take into consideration the tightness of their inclusion in the public debt contract.

Originality/value

This paper makes a timely contribution to the debate of timely loss recognition by confirming the complementarity between the inclusion of restrictive covenants in the debt agreement and the accounting conservatism before and after the emission of public debt.
Intellectual capital and firm efficiency of US multinational software firms
Authors: Nkambule Ncamsile Ashley , Wang Wei-Kang , Ting Irene Wei Kiong , Lu Wen-Min
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the impact of intellectual capital efficiency on US multinational software companies' performance from 2012 to 2016 by applying data envelopment analysis (DEA).

Design/methodology/approach

It adopts a new slacks-based measure (SBM) to obtain a more accurate performance estimation and rank between companies. Regression analysis is used to test the overall IC and each of its elements (Human Capital, Innovation Capital, Process Capital and Customer Capital).

Findings

The univariate result shows that multinational companies are more efficient than non-multinational companies. However, the regression result shows that multinationality can hardly explain the firm efficiency of software firms. Another interesting finding is that intellectual capital has a positive and significant impact on software firm performance in the US human capital influences firm efficiency directly. However, when human capital is combined with the other elements of IC, the contribution of human capital becomes less significant. This is because people may think that innovation capital, process capital and customer capital can replace human capital, but it is not. In short, human capital may affect firm efficiency through other elements of IC (innovation capital, process capital and customer capital) as it is the base of other elements.

Research limitations/implications

The results show that multinational companies have higher efficiency scores than non-multinational companies. In addition, Intellectual capital has a positive and significant impact on software firm performance in the US human capital influences firm efficiency directly. However, when human capital is combined with the other elements of IC, the contribution of human capital becomes less significant. This is because people may think that innovation capital, process capital and customer capital can replace human capital, but it is not. In short, human capital may affect firm efficiency through other elements of IC (innovation capital, process capital and customer capital) as it is the base of other elements.

Practical implications

Overall, the study highlights the needs of having intellectual capital and its elements (Human Capital, Innovation Capital, Process Capital and Customer Capital) to increase firm efficiency.

Originality/value

First, the authors use a more comprehensive elements of IC, which are human capital, innovation capital, process capital and customer capital for a better IC measurement. Second, this study makes the first attempt using the DSBM model via DEA to examine the operating efficiency of US multinational software firms.
Does organizational learning differ in manufacturing and service firms? Evidence from Mexico
Authors: Garza Burgos Rodrigo , Johnson James P. , Loughry Misty L.L.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate organizational learning (OL) at the individual, group and organizational levels in service and manufacturing firms in Mexico to determine if there are differences in how OL operates or in the link between OL and firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed experienced managers from 1,093 Mexican firms across a range of service and manufacturing industries, using the Strategic Learning Assessment Map (Bontiset al., 2002).

Findings

Organizational learning processes (OLPs) were highly similar in service and manufacturing firms and OL had a strong positive association with performance in both types of firms. OLPs at the individual level had a slightly greater impact on performance for service firms.

Research limitations/implications

The results provide further evidence of the strong link between OL and firm performance. There were no significant correlations of firm size or age with the OLPs or firm performance. However, the micro-companies that constitute 95% of Mexican firms were under-represented in the sample.

Practical implications

OLPs are equally important in manufacturing and service firms and across developed and developing economies. Therefore, OL should pervade all organizations. Managers should create cultures that encourage employees to produce new ideas and share those ideas with peers and supervisors through both formal and informal communication processes.

Social implications

The findings indicate that the individual employees’ contributions to OL are the main driver of the impact of OLPs on firm performance and that individual-level learning processes are even more relevant for service firms than for manufacturing firms. As value co-production takes place simultaneously at the moment of the service delivery/service consumption, the individual learning stock is fundamental for enhanced firm performance.

Originality/value

The authors believe this to be the first large-scale study to compare OLPs in manufacturing and service firms across industries in a major emerging market.
The Chinese system of government relief supplies: from the perspective of knowledge management
Authors: Xing Guangyuan , Li Yi , Bao Haixu , Zhang Guoxing , Li Zhenguo
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Public crisis often generates new knowledge that should be incorporated into a government’s macro-control to ensure the relief supply. From the perspective of public crisis knowledge management, the Chinese system of Government relief supplies can be considered as a special case of the knowledge system. This paper aims to investigate the supply and production mechanism of relief goods and explore the advantages of the Chinese system when a sudden public crisis occurs.

Design/methodology/approach

Under the Chinese system, the authors construct a relief supply chain model consisting of the Chinese Government, one manufacturer and one supplier, where the supplier has no capital constraints. Given the demand for relief goods, the government purchases from the manufacturer with a guide price. Then, the manufacturer decides on its order quantity and offers a wholesale price to the supplier. The supplier has a random capacity and decides on the level of knowledge acquisition to improve its capacity.

Findings

The authors first obtain the analytical solution for the manufacturer to motivate a high level of knowledge acquisition from the supplier. Specifically, the manufacturer’s optimal order quantity is equal to the demand and the optimal wholesale price has a cost-plus form that reimburses the supplier for its production cost and knowledge-acquisition cost. Next, the authors derive the optimal guide price for the government, which should be set to subsidize the manufacturer with a proportion of the sourcing cost. Finally, the authors compare the Chinese system with the market mechanism where the supplier has capital constraints and confirm that the Chinese system is more beneficial to both the manufacturer and the government.

Originality/value

Quantitative research on the Chinese system of Government relief supplies is difficult to be conducted. This paper provides feasible and practical methods to quantify the benefits of the Chinese system. The results reveal that the Chinese system is an effective mechanism of public crisis knowledge management, which can be helpful to the government’s policy-making in practice.