bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The culture of orphaned texts
Authors: Broz Ludek , Stöckelová Tereza
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of knowledge on how research evaluation in different national and organisational contexts affects, often in unintended ways, research and publication practices. In particular, it looks at the development of book publication in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) in the Czech Republic since 2004, when a performance-based system of evaluation was introduced, up to the present.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper builds upon ethnographic research complemented by the analysis of Czech science policy documents, data available in the governmental database “Information Register of R&D results” and formal and informal interviews with expert evaluators and other stakeholders in the research system. It further draws on the authors’ own experience as scholars, who have also over the years participated in a number of evaluation procedures as peers and experts.

Findings

The number of books published by researchers in SSH based at Czech institutions has risen considerably in reaction to the pressure for productivity that is inscribed into the evaluation methodology and has resulted in the rise of in-house publishing by researchers’ own research institution, “fake internationalisation” using foreign low-quality presses as the publication venue, and the development of a culture of orphaned books that have no readers.

Practical implications

In the Czech Republic robust and internationally harmonised bibliometric data regarding books would definitely help to create a form of research evaluation that would stimulate meaningful scholarly book production. At the same time, better-resourced and better-designed peer review evaluation is needed.

Originality/value

This is the first attempt to analyse in detail the conditions and consequences the Czech performance-based research evaluation system has for SSH book publication. The paper demonstrates that often discussed harming of SSH and book-writing in particular by performance-based IF-centred research evaluation does not necessarily manifest in declining numbers of publications. On the contrary, the number of books published may increase at the cost of producing more texts of questionable scholarly quality.
Social media analysis of anti-consumption in Turkey
Authors: Khan Mohammad Saud , Kadirov Djavlonbek , Bardakci Ahmet , Iftikhar Rehan , Baran Tamer , Kantar Murat , Madak Nazan
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceptions of food anti-consumption in fast growing markets within an emerging economy context of Turkey.

Design/methodology/approach

Recently posted customer comments, complaints and suggestions related to the selected fast-food chains were examined from the following domains: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Sikayetvar.com. These comments were reviewed, assessed and classified by four trained independent raters. After examining the comments one-by-one the raters arrived at the final (triangulated) decision regarding the comment’s category after an iterative process including cross-examination.

Findings

Reasons for fast-food avoidance were primarily linked to customers’ negative past experiences (experiential avoidance). Identity avoidance, moral avoidance and interactivity avoidance.

Originality/value

The paper adds to the anti-consumption literature by examining the food avoidance framework of Lee et al. (2009) in an emerging market context. New categories were identified for reasons of food avoidance which have not been identified before in the anti-consumption literature such as interactivity avoidance.
Digitally facilitated newspaper consumption and value co-creation
Authors: Chen Cheng-Hao Steve , Wu Meng-Shan Sharon , Nguyen Bang , Li Stacey
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide insights into value creation within a newspaper consumption community, adding to current information research by demonstrating how an atypical consumption community can co-create value in ways different from those identified in extant research. The upheaval of the newspaper industry’s business model and value chain in the face of digitalisation has led to significant decreases in newspaper revenue. To stay successful in the modern digital climate, it is essential for newspapers to utilise the interactive features of Web 2.0 to find new value sources. To do so, it is necessary to focus not just on tangible financial value but also symbolic value. The study supports the notion that consumers collectively co-create value through consumption community practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Through the conduction of a netnographic exploration of active consumers on the Guardian website and interviews with passive consumers, the study’s aims of understanding co-creation in digitally facilitated newspaper consumption environment were achieved.

Findings

The findings have opened up new ways in which newspapers can harness value through consumption communities as well as suggesting the future scope of research. This study indicates that newspapers foster an atypical environment for the creation of a cohesive consumption community – something that has failed to be appreciated in extant information research – because their diverse content influences the formation of multiple community pools with members who do not always share the same beliefs. In addition, the study reveals that the Guardian’s online consumption community co-creates value without strict adherence to the prescribed contingencies set out in current literature. The findings uncover new patterns in community behaviour proving value to be created not just through their co-consumption but also through individual consumption.

Originality/value

This study contributes to discussions on how communities co-create value and how this differs with different article subjects (lifestyle and political and types of participants, both active and passive).
Supply-side structural reform and the transformational development of China’s foreign trade
Authors: Zhang Erzhen , Dai Xiang
Published: October 2018

Purpose

From the perspective of supply-side structural reform, the purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss the necessity and feasibility of China’s foreign trade transformation and development and explores the realization path accordingly.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper mainly uses the speculative method of qualitative research to find out the scientific countermeasures of foreign trade transformation from the supply-side reform level on the basis of in-depth interpretation of the supply-side structural reform and foreign trade transformation and development.

Findings

The study found that the main problem facing China’s foreign trade development is structural problems. Therefore, through structural reforms such as technological innovation and institutional innovation, it can effectively promote the transformation and development of foreign trade.

Originality/value

This paper is the original result of the author. Except for the content already quoted in the text, this paper does not contain any other individuals or groups that have published or written the work.
Lessons from tropical storms Urduja and Vinta disasters in the Philippines
Authors: Lagmay Mahar , Racoma Bernard Alan
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Tropical storms Urduja and Vinta battered the Philippines in December 2017. Despite advances in disaster risk reduction efforts of the country, the twin December storms caused numerous deaths in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Analysis of these events shows that alerts raised during the Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) for both storms were largely ineffective because they were too broad and general calling for forced evacuations in too many provinces. Repeated multiple and general warnings that usually do not end up in floods or landslides, desensitize people and result in the cry-wolf effect where communities do not respond with urgency when needed. It was unlike the previous execution of PDRA from 2014 to early 2017 by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), which averted mass loss of lives in many severely impacted areas because of hazard-specific, area-focused and time-bound warnings. PDRA must reinstate specific calls, where mayors of communities are informed by phone hours in advance of imminent danger to prompt and ensure immediate action. Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction information using probabilistic (multi-scenario) hazard maps is also necessary for an effective early warning system to elicit appropriate response from the community. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Methods of early warning through the PDRA of the National Disaster Mitigation and Management Council (NDRRMC) of the Philippines during tropical storm Urduja and Typhoon Vinta were assessed in this study and compared to the previous PDRA system from 2014 to early 2017.

Findings

It was found out that the numerous casualties were due to inadequate warning issued during the approach of the tropical cyclones. During an impending hazard, warnings must be accurate, reliable, understandable and timely. Despite the availability of maps that identified safe zones for different communities, warnings raised during the PDRA for both tropical cyclones were deemed too general calling for evacuations of whole provinces. As such, not all communities were evacuated in a timely manner because of failure in the key elements of an effective early warning system.

Originality/value

To avoid future disasters from happening, it is recommended that the PDRA reinstate its hazards-specific, area-focused and time-bound warnings. Similarly, to increase the resilience of communities, more work on mainstreaming of Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk and Vulnerability Reduction systems for communities must be done as well. Learning from the lessons of these previous disasters will enable communities, their leaders and every stakeholder, not to repeat the same mistakes in the future.
Employee development’s role in organizational commitment: a preliminary investigation comparing generation X and millennial employees
Authors: Glazer Sharon , Mahoney Adam C. , Randall Yari
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Seasoned workers often complain that their Millennial colleagues lack organizational commitment (OC). Research findings, however, are mixed. Furthermore, research suggests that employee professional development increases job satisfaction and reduces turnover. Still, few studies have examined if professional development increases commitment, particularly among Millennials. This paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study compared survey responses, gathered through social media, of Generation X (GenX) and Millennial employees on the relationship between employee development (ED) and OC.

Findings

Millennials (vs GenXers) reported significantly lower levels of continuance commitment, but no differences on normative and affective commitment. GenXers reported more affective and normative commitment than Millennials when having ED opportunities.

Practical implications

ED opportunities may not be similarly impactful on OC across generational cohorts. It might stimulate commitment amongst GenXers, but not Millennials.

Social implications

Findings also suggest that ED programs may be a normalized fixture in organizations today and that Millennials may take ED opportunities for granted.

Originality/value

This study is the first to identify potential factors influencing differences between GenXers and Millennials on OC. More research is needed to identify approaches to increasing Millenials’ commitment if managers want to keep their best employees or to ensure training and development is impactful.
Strategic CSR for airlines: does materiality matter?
Authors: Lee Seoki , Kim Bora , Ham Sunny
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Considering the increasing significance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the corporate world and the mixed findings of the financial implication of CSR investment in the financial economics literature, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between (im)material CSR investment and firm performance and the moderating role of airline type and economic conditions based on the stakeholder theory and institutional pressure argument.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a two-way random-effects model by firm and year along with using clustering coefficient estimation by firm to control for the possibility of inflated standard errors because of autocorrelation across years within a given firm.

Findings

This study finds that both material and immaterial CSR initiatives do not directly influence firm performance, but airline type and economic conditions do moderate the relationship. In specific, the study found that airlines’ investments in material CSR initiatives show an indifferent effect on firm performance between low-cost and full-service carriers and also between non-recessionary and recessionary periods. On the other hand, investments in immaterial CSR initiatives present different impacts on firm performance between low-cost and full-service carriers and between non-recessionary and recessionary periods. In details, the effect is more negative for low-cost carriers and recessionary periods than full-service carriers and non-recessionary periods.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical investigation of materiality for the airline industry in relation to firm performance using the industry-specific Materiality Map developed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. Further, this study incorporates two additional moderators (airline type and economic conditions) to enhance the understanding of the proposed relationships between (im)material CSR and firm performance.
Missing observation approximation for spatio-temporal profile reconstruction in participatory sensor networks
Authors: Mehmood Assad , Zia Kashif , Muhammad Arshad , Kumar Saini Dinesh
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Participatory wireless sensor networks (PWSN) is an emerging paradigm that leverages existing sensing and communication infrastructures for the sensing task. Various environmental phenomenon – P monitoring applications dealing with noise pollution, road traffic, requiring spatio-temporal data samples of P (to capture its variations and its profile construction) in the region of interest – can be enabled using PWSN. Because of irregular distribution and uncontrollable mobility of people (with mobile phones), and their willingness to participate, complete spatio-temporal (CST) coverage of P may not be ensured. Therefore, unobserved data values must be estimated for CST profile construction of P and presented in this paper.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the estimation of these missing data samples both in spatial and temporal dimension is being discussed, and the paper shows that non-parametric technique – Kernel Regression – provides better estimation compared to parametric regression techniques in PWSN context for spatial estimation. Furthermore, the preliminary results for estimation in temporal dimension have been provided. The deterministic and stochastic approaches toward estimation in the context of PWSN have also been discussed.

Findings

For the task of spatial profile reconstruction, it is shown that non-parametric estimation technique (kernel regression) gives a better estimation of the unobserved data points. In case of temporal estimation, few preliminary techniques have been studied and have shown that further investigations are required to find out best estimation technique(s) which may approximate the missing observations (temporally) with considerably less error.

Originality/value

This study addresses the environmental informatics issues related to deterministic and stochastic approaches using PWSN.
Temptation and the propensity to engage in unethical
behaviour
Authors: Owusu Godfred Matthew Yaw , Amoah Bekoe Rita , Koomson Theodora Aba Abekah , Simpson Samuel Nana Yaw
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the propensity of business
students to engage in unethical behaviour in the field of work. The study
further examines the effect of temptation on the propensity of an individual
to engage in an unethical conduct.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey method of research was used, and a set of questionnaires was
developed and administered to the respondents. Data were collected from 551
undergraduate students from University of Ghana Business School and the
partial least square structural equation modelling technique was used to
analyse the data.

Findings

The results indicate that the likelihood of students engaging in an unethical
conduct is high when tempted. Students who are desirous of getting rich, who
lack self-control and whose way of thinking are affected when found in
tempting situations have high propensity to engage in unethical conduct.

Practical implications

The findings of this study provide some useful insights to the corporate
world on the behavioural intentions of future graduates in tempting
situations.

Originality/value

This study highlights the effect of temptations on an individual’s
propensity to engage in an unethical conduct.
Perceptions and practices of paediatric occupational therapists
Authors: Murphy Kate , Governey Sarah
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to feedback the results of a survey of paediatric occupational therapists completed by the Paediatric Advisory Group (PAG) regarding perceptions and practices of the assessment of need (AON) process. This survey was completed to gather feedback from occupational therapists about the impact of the AON process on paediatric occupational therapy practice in Ireland.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was developed by the authors, who were on the PAG committee, to specifically gather quantitative and qualitative information about the AON. A snowball sampling method was utilised. The results were grouped into themes related to the practices and recommendations from occupational therapists nationally.

Findings

Surveys were returned from 98 paediatric occupational therapists with a wide national geographical spread with the majority working in the HSE. The amount of time spent on AON assessments, as well as the length of reports, varied nationally. The process of how assessments were completed (unidisciplinary or multidisciplinary) and whether a diagnosis was provided was inconsistent. Concerns were raised about the negative ethical impact of the AON on service provision and intervention and the need for further training of staff along with more frequent assessment reviews. The respondents also highlighted concerns about the increasing age of the AON criteria, with no increase in resources, and they provided suggestions for improvements for the future.

Research limitations/implications

The survey was sent to all AOTI and PAG members via gatekeepers and then forwarded to others, resulting in a snowball sampling technique; however, this does not represent all paediatric occupational therapists nationally as membership in these groups is voluntary.

Practical implications

The concerns and inequities raised in the survey regarding occupational therapy practices of completing the AON process need to be shared with relevant stakeholders both at the occupational therapy management level and in the HSE and Department of Health/Disability. The PAG will continue to highlight these concerns from their members to relevant parties and by disseminating findings in articles such as this.

Social implications

Ethical concerns were raised by some members about the equity of access to interventions as a result of the AON process. The social implication of this for families and children is pertinent, particularly in the context of the increased age in the AON criteria without any increase in resources.

Originality/value

The PAG aims to support paediatric occupational therapists nationally and the committee often gathers feedback from members regarding concerns which affect day-to-day practice in paediatric OT. Sharing of this information with IJOT readers helps to highlight the challenges faced by paediatric occupational therapists nationally.
Developing intuitionistic fuzzy seasonality regression with particle swarm optimization for air pollution forecasting
Authors: Ho Chung-Han , Chang Ping-Teng , Hung Kuo-Chen , Lin Kuo-Ping
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel intuitionistic fuzzy seasonality regression (IFSR) with particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms to accurately forecast air pollutions, which are typical seasonal time series data. Seasonal time series prediction is a critical topic, and some time series data contain uncertain or unpredictable factors. To handle such seasonal factors and uncertain forecasting seasonal time series data, the proposed IFSR with the PSO method effectively extends the intuitionistic fuzzy linear regression (IFLR).

Design/methodology/approach

The prediction model sets up IFLR with spreads unrestricted so as to correctly approach the trend of seasonal time series data when the decomposition method is used. PSO algorithms were simultaneously employed to select the parameters of the IFSR model. In this study, IFSR with the PSO method was first compared with fuzzy seasonality regression, providing evidence that the concept of the intuitionistic fuzzy set can improve performance in forecasting the daily concentration of carbon monoxide (CO). Furthermore, the risk management system also implemented is based on the forecasting results for decision-maker.

Findings

Seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average and deep belief network were then employed as comparative models for forecasting the daily concentration of CO. The empirical results of the proposed IFSR with PSO model revealed improved performance regarding forecasting accuracy, compared with the other methods.

Originality/value

This study presents IFSR with PSO to accurately forecast air pollutions. The proposed IFSR with PSO model can efficiently provide credible values of prediction for seasonal time series data in uncertain environments.
Structural applicability of steel fibre-recycled aggregate concrete in construction
Authors: Senaratne Sepani , Mirza Olivia , Lambrousis Gregory , Fernandez-Soncini Alessandro
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The use of recycled aggregates (RA) has been explored to lead to a more sustainable future. The paper investigates on a sustainable concrete mix incorporating steel fibres (SF) and RA to provide an alternative to traditional natural aggregate concrete for structural applications. This paper aims to explore the feasibility of combining RA and SF in structural applications in terms of strength, cost and industry perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed research approach is established with two phases. Phase 1 aims to identify an optimum material combination that satisfies the structural strength requirements and to identify the costs in its optimum combination. Phase 2 involves qualitative interviews with key industry parties to explore their perspective and identify various enablers and barriers for this material.

Findings

The optimum combination of 30 per cent RA replacement and 0.3 SF volume content has been identified through laboratory testing. It was noted that there would be a direct additional cost because of SF addition. However, when other benefits such as reduction in transportation costs and landfill dumping fees were considered, an overall cost saving could be achieved. Consequently, the key industry practitioners’ perspectives for this material have been gathered through qualitative interviews. Several enablers and barriers were identified through these interviews.

Originality/value

Even though, there are various research attempts on improving RA for structural purpose by adding different additives, a holistic study that incorporate cost effects and the industry perspectives was lacking and is addressed in this current study. In particular, industry perspectives lead to refocus research directions and get closer to the realisation of a sustainable construction industry.
Leadership style required for the transition to servitization in Japan
Authors: Kim Soyeon , Toya Keiko
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Given the emergence of servitization as a viable strategy for manufacturers to gain a competitive advantage, determining what factors influence effective servitization is imperative. Drawing on organizational change and leadership theories, the purpose of this paper is to identify the leadership styles required for successfully implementing servitization in Japan.

Design/methodology/approach

Via stratified sampling method, 5,000 Japanese manufacturers registered in the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry were selected for participation in a mail survey. Survey data from 187 responding CEOs were matched with firm-level archival data, after which the matched data were analyzed.

Findings

The findings indicated that industry type is important in implementing servitization, but firm size and performance are not. The results also revealed that charismatic leadership style is especially critical in implementing and elevating servitization, whereas autocratic and autonomous leadership styles impede this process.

Research limitations/implications

The study fills a gap in the literature by identifying a notable relationship between leadership style and servitization. Because the study was conducted in an Asian economic context, which has received less attention in servitization research, it advances the existing body of research on servitization by breaking the former geographical constraints in this field of studies.

Practical implications

This study presents practical implications for Japanese manufacturers who wish to devise a strategic leadership plan in the servitization process. CEOs of the firms can initiate the transition to servitization by employing charismatic leadership skills and convincing employees of the benefits of the change.

Originality/value

The research is distinguished from existing studies in that it provides the first empirical evidence on effective CEO leadership styles for servitization in Japanese manufacturing firms.
SEC chief accountant shines spotlight on audit committees
Authors: Stroup Stephen G.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

To explain and analyze remarks concerning the importance and responsibility of corporate audit committees made by US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chief Accountant Wesley Bricker before the Baruch College Financial Reporting Conference on May 3, 2018.

Design/methodology/approach

Discusses Mr Bricker’s remarks in three principal areas: the role of audit committees in clearly understanding non-GAAP measures presented to the public, the attentiveness of audit committees to disclosures regarding changes in market risks, and the importance of independent, diverse thinking on corporate boards, and particularly, audit committee, brought by independent directors as an element of strong corporate governance.

Findings

The coming months may offer a better indication whether Mr Bricker’s speech is simply a specific point of emphasis from the Office of the Chief Accountant or is perhaps intended to foreshadow a contemplated or ongoing enforcement initiative.

Originality/value

Expert guidance from experienced lawyer with specialties in SEC investigative and enforcement actions, securities litigation, accountants’ defense, white collar criminal defense and corporate investigations
Lifestyle behaviors and mental health in medical students
Authors: Ben Ayed Houda , Yaich Sourour , Ben Jemaa Maissa , Ben Hmida Mariem , Trigui Maroua , Jedidi Jihene , Karray Raouf , Mejdoub Yosra , Feki Habib , Kassis Mondher , Damak Jamel
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Recently, there has been a renewed interest in medical students’ mental health. The purpose of this paper is to determine factors associated with psychological distress in medical students and to assess the correlation between major lifestyle behaviours and mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey among 530 medical students randomized from a faculty of medicine in 2017. The authors used the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Simple Lifestyle Indicator Questionnaire (SLIQ) to assess mental health and lifestyle, respectively.

Findings

The mean value of GHQ-12 and SLIQ were 4.1±2.8 and 6.2±1.4, respectively. Bivariate correlation analysis showed that SLIQ was significantly correlated to GHQ-12 (r=−0.26; p<0.001). The prevalence of psychological distress (GHQ-12=4) was 50.1%. The authors found that low/middle financial situation of the family (OR=1.5; CI 95%=[1.1–2.3]), internship level, (OR=1.8; CI 95%=[1.1–3.3]), medium/poor perceived academic performance (OR=2.2; CI 95%=[1.5–3.2]) and medium/poor perceived health status (OR=2.3; CI 95%=[1.5–3.6]) were significantly associated with psychological distress. Multivariate analysis performing logistic regression showed that average and unhealthy lifestyle were independently associated with psychological distress, with an adjusted OR of 3.7 (CI 95%=[1.7–7.7]) and 5.8 (CI 95%=[2.4–14.8]), respectively.

Originality/value

The study highlighted the magnitude and the risk factors of psychological distress in medical students. Unhealthy lifestyle was a potential predictive of mental disorders. These findings provide fundamental information for future researches.
The auditor’s opinion modifications around domestic and global financial crises
Authors: Sultanoglu Banu , Mugan Can Simga , Sekerdag Umut , Oran Adil
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of company characteristics such as the level of financial distress, client size and type of auditor on the propensity to issue modified audit opinions and to assess comparative differences in audit opinions during two significant economic crises in Turkey.

Design/methodology/approach

Logistic regression model is used to test the incremental contribution of each company characteristic on issuing the type of audit opinion for crisis periods. Additionally, to understand the reasons for differences in audit opinions between two types of crisis periods, the authors adopt Francis and Krishnan’s (2002) approach in which an auditor’s propensity to issue modified opinion may be jointly based on changes in client characteristics and auditor reporting strategies in that period.

Findings

The results indicate that there is a positive relationship between financial distress and the likelihood of receiving modified opinions in both crisis periods. Additionally, client size affects audit opinions negatively in both periods significantly. Auditors show higher propensity to issue a modified opinion during the domestic than the global financial crisis period, which could be explained by the changes in client characteristics more than their reporting strategy.

Practical implications

This study provides supportive evidence that the company characteristics including the financial distress can be very useful predictors for the auditors’ decisions while issuing their opinions.

Originality/value

The findings of different auditor behaviors during crises periods and possible reasons are the main contributions of this study for international and domestic regulators, investors, audit firms, academics and standard setters in emerging economies.
Cross-sectional variation in revenue-expense relation and cost of equity
Authors: Kim Sangwan
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether revenue-expense matching is inversely associated with cost of capital and information asymmetry, respectively, in the equity markets.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a firm-specific measure of revenue-expense matching consistent with Dichev and Tang (2008). To obtain a proxy for cost of equity, this paper uses the averageex anteimplied cost of capital estimate calculated from analysts’ forecast data, which are based on the Feltham–Ohlson residual income valuation framework. In additional tests, this paper uses the probability of informed trades (PIN) as a proxy for information asymmetry among equity investors. This paper employs both OLS and fractional logit regression models to test main predictions.

Findings

This paper documents that firms with high revenue-expense matching enjoy a lower cost of capital, supporting the direct impact of high matching on cost of capital by increasing the precision of public information signals. Further, matching of contemporaneous revenues and expenses is inversely associated with information asymmetry, suggesting that the indirect impact of high matching on cost of capital through its impact on information asymmetry is also plausible.

Originality/value

Although an extensive body of literature has established a link between various disclosure/earnings properties and cost of capital, this research is the first to establish a link between matching and cost of capital. This paper fills the void in the literature by showing that revenue-expense matching – a fundamental property of accounting earnings – affects equity investors’ required rate of returns.
The cash flow sensitivity of cash in family firms: does the board of directors matter?
Authors: Guizani Assil , Lakhal Faten , Lakhal Nadia
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the effect of French family control on the cash flow sensitivity of cash (CFSC). It also investigates the moderating effect of board of directors’ features on this relation.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a sample of French-listed companies from 2012 to 2014, the authors use GLS regression models on panel data estimated with robust standard errors, clustered at the firm level.

Findings

The results show that family control is positively associated with the CFSC. This finding suggests that families are likely to hold more cash out of their cash flows for entrenchment and expropriation purposes. A further analysis shows that board size, independence and the two-tier board structure negatively affect the CFSC in family firms. Board efficiency is then a guarantee of minority shareholders’ interests against family expropriation risks in France.

Research limitations/implications

These findings suggest that French family firms are likely to expropriate minority interests by extracting rents through their cash holding behavior. However, in the presence of high-quality board features, the relation turns negative, suggesting that the quality of the board is an efficient corporate governance device that is likely to monitor family corporate decisions.

Originality/value

This paper extends previous research by investigating the moderating effect of board features on the relation between family control and the CFSC. The research provides a metric for agency problems that is the sensitivity of cash to cash flows and offers theoretical support for the agency argument of hoarding cash.
The bounded incentive effect of informal institutions
Authors: Zhang Yilin , Cai Dongling , Jia Fansheng , Li Guangzhong
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to mainly investigate the role of trust, which is an important informal system, in executive compensation incentives.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the data of Chinese A-share private enterprises from 2003 to 2014, the paper estimates the effect that trust has on executive compensation incentives.

Findings

Results indicate that trust can significantly enhance the effectiveness of executive compensation incentives. Furthermore, the better the regional trust environment in which companies are located, the more pronounced the effect is. In particular, the effect of trust on executive compensation incentives is only significant when the formal legal system is immature. As companies continue to grow and develop and the formal system becomes perfect, the role of trust weakens. The formal system, including the corporate governance mechanism and perfect legislation, then becomes the key to promoting executive compensation incentives.

Practical implications

This paper provides evidence of the significance of both informal and formal systems. It not only emphasises the important role that the informal system has played in “the mystery of China’s economic growth” but also supports the “ruling the country by law” strategy for the sustainable development of China’s economy.

Originality/value

This paper reveals the relationship between the formal and informal systems, which provides a new perspective on and empirical evidence for the determinants of executive compensation incentives, and it also finds an explanation for the rapid growth of China’s economic development.
Effects of unexpected financial slack on SMEs’ diversification and growth: evidence from China
Authors: Liu Xing , Jin Zhanming
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between unexpected financial slack and small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) diversification and growth performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the phenomenon of IPO over-financed in China as the empirical context, the authors constructed a firm-level measure of unexpected financial slack based on over-financed capital resources and extended the nascent inquiry on unexpected slack.

Findings

The authors proposed and tested that, with unexpected slack obtained from IPO over-financed, SMEs did not engage in diversification until slack was extraordinarily high (a curvilinear relationship). And in such cases, SMEs preferred geographic diversification rather than industry diversification. Moreover, SMEs were able to sustain growth performance both in the short term and in the long term.

Practical implications

This study had important implications for regulators and managers. The findings of this study suggested that proper regulations on usage of over-financed capital helped SMEs’ sustain their growth performance. Regulatory policies could curb managers from cognitive biases to behave more prudently and deploy the resources more consciously. However, with sufficient resources, managers should also consider more explorative growth drivers such as diversification.

Originality/value

This study joined the efforts of extending the antecedents of slack formation from internal managerial behaviors to external uncertain factors. As the first study to explore the role of unexpected slack at firm level, the results of this study shed more light on the effects of unexpected slack resources.
Hitting (or missing) the mark
Authors: Donner Christopher M. , Popovich Nicole
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine police shooting accuracy and the factors that influence whether officers hit, or miss, their intended target.

Design/methodology/approach

Descriptive statistics explore both incident-level and hit rate shooting accuracy in single officer/single suspect shooting incidents in the Dallas Police Department between 2003 and 2017. Multiple regression models analyze the predictive utility of officer, suspect and situational factors on the two accuracy outcomes.

Findings

Consistent with prior research, the results demonstrate that officers are often inaccurate in officer-involved shooting (OIS) incidents. Additionally, several factors emerged as significant predictors of shooting accuracy.

Practical implications

The results are discussed in terms of the practical implications for training and accountability.

Originality/value

It has been more than a decade since the last academic study investigated this important topic using actual OIS data. Acknowledging the general dearth of this literature, this study explores what factors contribute to shooting accuracy.
Availability of private credit – does culture matter?
Authors: Dority Bree , Tenkorang Frank , Ujah Nacasius U.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of national culture on private credit availability. The authors particularly focus on the masculinity dimension, as previous studies have not been able to reconcile this dimension in terms of results aligning with expectations.

Design/methodology/approach

Least-squares regression with country-cluster standard errors is used to estimate the impact of a nation’s cultural dimensions. Culture is assessed using Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions: masculinity, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, long-term orientation and indulgence. Estimation controls for country-level measures of economic growth and development, inflation, financial market development and the institutional, legal and bank environments. Data on more than 70 countries were collected from 2005 to 2014.

Findings

The authors find the masculinity dimension of culture has a significant negative impact on private credit access. Moreover, this result is driven by middle-income versus high-income countries. Interestingly, the authors also find the power distance dimension has a significant negative impact; however, this result is driven by high-income versus middle-income countries. Overall, these results are consistent with the authors’ argument that masculinity may be capturing traditionally defined gender roles, that masculinity (as the authors define it) is different from what power distance is capturing and that the impact of masculinity is influenced by a country’s economic stage.

Originality/value

The authors’ interpretation of masculinity, coupled with their results, presents researchers with an alternative perspective of a cultural dimension that previous studies have not been able to reconcile in terms of results aligning with expectations. Moreover, the authors show that the impact of the cultural dimensions on private credit differs for high- and middle-income countries, and thus has important implications.
Store brand adoption and penetration explained by trust
Authors: Sarantidou Paraskevi P.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to explain variations in store brand penetration using trust. It aims to help both retailers and manufacturers predict store brand purchases through an improved understanding of the impact of trust in store brands across 10 different store brand product categories and among nine different grocery retailers.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a telephone survey of 904 participants responsible for the household grocery shopping with a quota of 100 respondents from each of the nine leading grocery retailers in Greece.

Findings

The findings provide empirical support that store brand purchases are positively influenced by the consumers’ perceived level of trust toward the retailer’s store brands. Results also confirmed variations in store brand penetration across the ten product categories that were tested, variations among the retailers and variations in the level of trust.

Originality/value

This paper is adding to the store brand literature from a quantitative perspective and is contributing to the theory, as there is no clear theoretical view on the effect of trust on store brand purchases.
A view of the learning organization from a corporate governance perspective
Authors: Sidani Yusuf , Reese Simon
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an overview of the development of learning organization concepts from the perspective of Professor Bob Garratt and presents an interesting evolution toward his work on learning boardroom members.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a conversation with Professor Garratt, the authors capture several topics pertaining to his evolution of learning organization concepts, those who have differing views and ultimately what led him to develope his theories on the impact of the most senior members of an organization on the learning constructs.

Findings

The learning organization debate has many foundations that today have led to differing perspectives. Professor Garratt provides his particular background and how he developed his opinions, which he admits have not always been embraced in practice.

Originality/value

The discussion with Bob Garratt reveals his understanding of the learning organization concept and how it developed from a lifetime of practical application. Ultimately, the reader will understand, in Professor Garratt’s own words, where he was confronted with challenges and why his concepts evolved to where they are today.
Managing emotional and psychological distress in older people
Authors: Chapman Felicity
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Much has been written about helping those with dementia. But what about those for whom distress is not primarily related to a neurological cause and there is no psychiatric history? The purpose of this paper is to offer a guide for allied health professionals and family carers to manage distress in older people who are able to engage in language based communication and who are experiencing significant change or loss.

Design/methodology/approach

This practice informed paper draws on the authors’ extensive experience working as a mental health social worker who specializes in work with older people in the community and in care, with family carers and in educating allied health professionals on how to manage presentations of distress in older people.

Findings

Three foundational management strategies are discussed: understand the reason for distress, implement the C.A.R.E. Plan and maximize comfort in exploration and referral.

Research limitations/implications

This viewpoint piece has not been substantiated through research and does not reflect training in the field of clinical geropsychology.

Originality/value

The ideas in this paper are original and are practical solutions to common problems that can be faced by workers or family in close contact with older people. The information can be applied immediately to whatever setting is relevant for the reader and is written in easy to understand language. Furthermore, its aim is not only to increase skill and confidence for the reader but also to promote the emotional and psychological wellbeing of older people.