bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Firm and country specific determinants of capital structure in Sub Saharan Africa
Authors: Chipeta Chimwemwe , Deressa Chera 
Published: September 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of firm- and country-specific factors on the dynamics of capital structure for a new data set of firms in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Design/methodology/approach
Panel data estimation techniques are carried out on a set of 412 firms from 12 countries within Sub-Saharan Africa.

Findings
The results show that firm- and country-specific factors play an important role in the choice of debt for firms in Sub-Saharan Africa. First, firm profitability is the most common significant predictor of capital structure for firms in Sub-Saharan Africa. The significance and magnitude of profitability coefficients is more pronounced in countries with the least developed banking and stock markets and the weakest legal systems. Second, the rule of law in Nigeria and Zimbabwe provides avenues for firms in these countries to increase their debt maturity structures. The choice of debt for firms in Ghana is significantly influenced by the strength of the legal rights, the time to enforce a contract and the cost of contract enforcement. Third, capital structure adjustment speeds in all the sampled countries are relatively slow, possibly due to the market imperfections associated with the underdeveloped financial markets of Sub-Saharan Africa. Lastly, firms in the most developed stock markets of Sub-Saharan Africa tend to have lower mean debt ratios and faster capital structure adjustment speeds. Similarly, firms in countries with strong legal mechanisms tend to have higher mean long-term debt ratios and faster capital structure adjustment speeds.

Originality/value
This paper explores the influence of firm-level and country-specific factors on the dynamics of capital structure for a new data set that was previously ignored in the literature.
The influence of institutional factors on MNC’s triple bottom-line reporting
Authors: Urban Boris , Hwindingwi Rutendo 
Published: September 2016

PurposeRecognising the rapid institutional changes multinational corporations (MNCs) face in emerging markets, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of various institutional factors on their triple bottom-line (TBL) reporting. The study builds on existing research where it has been noted that international business theory needs to adapt to the changes in the global economy, particularly the need to recognise the influence of several contingent variables in African emerging markets (AEMs).Design/methodology/approachThe study design was cross-sectional where a survey was administered to MNCs operating in four leading countries situated in key economic regions in Africa. Following validity and reliability testing, hypotheses were tested using regression analysis.FindingsFindings show that an independent judiciary system and an adequate national security system were found to have a positive and significant influence on the MNC’s TBL reporting. These institutional factors highlight the perceived importance of “law and order” for MNCs in AEMs.Research limitations/implicationsPolicy implications relate to the need for specific and targeted interventions aimed at improving institutional factors in AEMs.Originality/valueInstead of focusing on the internationalisation of AEM firms, the study took a different approach by focusing instead on countries previously under researched and how MNCs are affected by the institutional regimes in these AEMs.
Entrepreneurs adoption of information system innovation
Authors: Moghavvemi Sedigheh , Mohd Salleh Noor Akma , Standing Craig 
Published: September 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore technology acceptance and use behavior of IS innovations by entrepreneurs. To measure the perception of IS innovations by entrepreneurs the authors review unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and the entrepreneurial potential model, empirically compare the two models, develop a new model that integrates elements from the two models, and then empirically validate the new model (technology adoption decision and use (TADU)) in a technology acceptance context.

Design/methodology/approach
The data used to test the hypothesis are collected from 1,200 entrepreneurs in Malaysia. The research model was analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings
The results indicate that perceived desirability and perceived feasibility have significant effects on entrepreneurs’ intention to adopt and use innovations. Propensity to use is an important factor that has a significant effect on individual behavior. The precipitating events that happen in the time lag between intention and behavior will disrupt entrepreneurs’ inertia and induce a change in their behavior, encouraging them to seek the best opportunity available.

Practical implications
Understanding the individual, technological, and environmental factors that significantly affect IT adoption behavior can support policy makers in providing guidance on the adoption and usage of IT innovations by entrepreneurs.

Originality/value
This study proposes a TADU model with six core determinants of intention and usage – perceived desirability, perceived feasibility, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions and two new moderators, precipitating events and the propensity to act.
How customers’ offline experience affects the adoption of online banking
Authors: Estrella-Ramon Antonia , Sánchez-Pérez Manuel , Swinnen Gilbert 
Published: September 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of customers’ offline transaction behaviour in the form of loyalty and cross-buying on the adoption of self-service technology innovations by non-business customers in the context of online banking.

Design/methodology/approach
This study extends the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, as well as the Technology Acceptance Model adapted to describe and model individual customer observed behaviours in the pre-adoption stage of the adoption process. The Log-logistic parametric survival model is applied using panel data for 1,357 randomly selected new customers from a bank.

Findings
Significant differences arise among customers’ behaviours related to periodicity of interactions with the bank and quantity of products involved in the interactions, as well as convenience and risk of the interactions. The results corroborate that those customers who are more likely to adopt the online banking faster show an offline behavioural pattern more related to higher periodicity of interactions and convenience, rather than a high number of products involved in their interactions, the use of high-risk products or the maintenance of a higher average monthly liabilities.

Originality/value
While previous research explaining the process of adoption of the online channel has mainly focused on the analysis of customers’ attitudes (i.e. customers’ perceptions) and demographics, in this research an additional explanation is proposed using customers’ offline transaction behaviours. In addition, there is a considerable amount of research about the adoption of new technologies, but there is a scarcity of studies looking specifically at the financial services and banking industry.
Multichannel integration quality, online perceived value and online purchase intention
Authors: Wu Jin-Feng , Chang Ya Ping 
Published: September 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of multichannel integration quality in enhancing online perceived value and online purchase intention via the online store operated by a land-based retailer.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper develops a research model based on the “quality-value-purchase” chain, with four dimensions of multichannel integration quality as antecedents and three dimensions of online perceived value as mediators of online purchase intention. Empirical data were collected from 390 multichannel shoppers and structured equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses.

Findings
Among the four multichannel integration quality dimensions, transparency of service configuration, process consistency and business ties positively affect online purchase intention through online perceived value, whereas the effects of information consistency are not significant; process consistency exerts a stronger influence on online perceived value than business ties; the effect of online convenience on online purchase intention is weaker than that of online monetary savings and online hedonic value.

Research limitations/implications
The study identifies the theoretical principles of the relationships among multichannel integration quality, online perceived value and online perceived value in multichannel context. Based on these theoretical principles, this study will help researchers to better understand consumers’ online purchase intention and the creation of online perceived value in the integrated multichannel context.

Practical implications
The findings of this study can provide retailers with useful strategies to increase online purchase intention depending on improvement of multichannel integration quality and online perceived value.

Originality/value
This study provides a first study to empirically assess various types of online perceived value attached to multidimensional properties of multichannel integration quality and the corresponding effects on online purchase intention. Overall, the results offer insights of how land-based retailers could manage their online performance by integrating multiple channels and improving online perceived value.
Automatic recognition of males and females among web browser users based on behavioural patterns of peripherals usage
Authors: Kolakowska Agata , Landowska Agnieszka , Jarmolkowicz Pawel , Jarmolkowicz Michal , Sobota Krzysztof 
Published: September 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to answer the question whether it is possible to recognise the gender of a web browser user on the basis of keystroke dynamics and mouse movements.

Design/methodology/approach
An experiment was organised in order to track mouse and keyboard usage using a special web browser plug-in. After collecting the data, a number of parameters describing the users’ keystrokes, mouse movements and clicks were calculated for each data sample. Then several machine learning methods were used to verify the stated research question.

Findings
The experiment showed that it is possible to recognise males and females on the basis of behavioural characteristics with an accuracy exceeding 70 per cent. The best results were obtained while using Bayesian networks.

Research limitations/implications
The first limitation of the study was the restricted contextual information, i.e. neither the type of web page browsed nor the user activity was taken into account. Another is the narrow scope of the respondent group. Future work should focus on gathering data from more users covering a wider age range and should consider the context.

Practical implications
Automatic gender recognition could be used in profiling a user to create personalised websites or as an additional feature in automatic identification for security reasons. It might be also considered as a confirmation of declared gender in web-based surveys.

Social implications
As not all users perceive personalised ads and websites as beneficial, this application requires the analysis of a user perspective to provide value to the consumer without privacy violation.

Originality/value
Behavioural characteristics, such as mouse movements and keystroke dynamics, have already been used for user authentication and emotion recognition, but applying these data to gender recognition is an original idea.
The temporal evolution of the normalized web distance
Authors: Perez-Garcia Lorena , Jan Broekaert  , Note Nicole 
Published: September 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess whether the temporal evolution of the normalized web distance (NWD) between significant terms concerning, e.g., a case of online activism can be used as a meta-data technique to measure evolution over time of, e.g., progress or decline of social empowerment.

Design/methodology/approach
The NWD between two terms has been identified as a quantitative measure for semantic proximity, ascertaining a defining relation between them. A trend analysis is made by performing on the internet a time window restrained series measurement of NWD of all combinations of key-terms and classifier-terms. Case defining key-terms, positive and negative discourse polarizing classifier-terms, and neutral classifier-terms for negative control need to be determined by discourse analysis of information on a targeted case. An example of NWD evolution from 1994 until 2013 is presented to measure the empowerment effects of the Wirikuta online movement on the Huichol people in Mexico.

Findings
The application of the NWD temporal evolution method to the Wirikuta case shows a slight but significant semantic change of the key-terms with respect to some of the positive and negative classifier-terms. The neutral classifier correctly shows no significant distance variation, as required for valid application of the method. The method provides indications for a complex image of empowerment of the Huichol identity.

Research limitations/implications
The accuracy of the method is limited due to short-term and between-user variability of the search tool’s page counts. More reliable access to a web-index will be required for more accurate NWD-based trend analysis.

Practical implications
The monitoring of temporal NWD evolution provides a potential tool for more comprehensive trend description compared to classical frequency based methods.

Originality/value
Trend analysis is key to internet research, to which the temporal NWD method provides an innovative contribution.
Drivers of Twitter as a strategic communication tool for non-profit organizations
Authors: Gálvez-Rodríguez María del Mar , Caba-Pérez Carmen , López-Godoy Manuel 
Published: September 2016

PurposeIn view of the increased impact of social media, non-profit organizations (NPOs) should review their management model for stakeholder relationships. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of factors on the use of Twitter by NPOs as a mechanism for disclosing information and dialogue with their stakeholders, and in particular: “donor dependence,” “fundraising expenses,” “organizational age,” “organizational size,” “online community size,” “network activity” and “board size.”Design/methodology/approachA content analysis of Twitter use as a strategic communication tool was conducted and a multivariable linear regression analysis was performed.FindingsSmaller organizations and those with a larger online community are the most interested in implementing Twitter as a one or two-way communication strategy. Likewise, the NPOs with the highest degree of donor dependence strive most in the use of contents of Twitter as one-way communication mechanism.Social implicationsThis study contributes to a better understanding of social media implementation in the NPO sector and advances the identification of the main causes that motivate NPOs to improve their accountability through social media.Originality/valueThe paper’s subject is relatively innovative due to the scarce studies focussing on social media used by NPOs. In spite of the advantages offered by Twitter, few studies have specifically addressed NPOs’ current use of this platform, and fewer still have analyzed the factors that motivate them to use this tool.
Antecedents of attitudes toward eWOM communication: differences across channels
Authors: Gvili Yaniv , Levy Shalom 
Published: September 2016

Purpose
Despite the extensive academic interest in electronic word of mouth (eWOM) communication, consumer attitudes toward eWOM communication have been neglected. The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for attitudes toward eWOM communication across digital channels.

Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through a web-based survey on seven major digital communication channels. ANOVA was applied in order to analyze their differences. In addition, structural equation modeling was used to test the eWOM attitude model, using a sample of 864 participants who have had prior experience with the channels under study.

Findings
Findings indicate that both attitude toward eWOM and its antecedents significantly differ across channels. Additionally, a path analysis model reveals that the original integrated model applies to eWOM communications. Yet, in the case of eWOM, irritating messages may be positively related to attitude toward the channel, and credibility serves as a mediator of message value.

Research limitations/implications
This paper supports the notion that attitude toward eWOM communication significantly differs across media channels. Future research should examine additional implications of attitude toward eWOM, and explore new and evolving channels.

Practical implications
Practitioners should adjust their eWOM media strategy to their objectives; blogs and social networks are more effective for brand attitude formation, whereas web forums enhance message credibility.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research study that tests attitudinal differences toward eWOM across digital channels. As such, it contributes to the understanding of people’s perception of these platforms.
Designing new business models: blue sky thinking and testing
Authors: Wrigley Cara , Bucolo Sam , Straker Karla 
Published: September 2016

Purpose
In what is going to be an uncertain and rapidly evolving global economic landscape, it is clear that firms will have to become more adaptive and responsive to changes within their marketplace. To do this, businesses will not only need to engage in business model experimentation but also look to embrace business model innovation as a core competency and a means for sustained competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper outlines how a design process of experimenting and prototyping can apply to the design of business models through the case study of hypothetical luggage company Packright.

Findings
Five meta-models with differing foci are illustrated as an accessible and provoking framework that provides a new logic to classifying, experimenting and prototyping business model designs.

Practical implications
These five meta-models provide a tangible starting point from which a business can begin to explore different perspectives and gain insights into the internal and external capabilities of their company.

Originality/value
This paper builds upon the emerging research and exploration into the importance and relevance of dynamic, design-driven approaches to the creation of innovative business models.
Writings on the bathroom wall
Authors: Hirsch Peter Buell 
Published: September 2016

Purpose
The increasing incidence of for-profit corporations publicly expressing views on social, cultural and political issues is creating new reputational risks. This viewpoint aims to examine this problem and propose a range of practices for companies to adopt for minimizing this risk.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper examines a variety of recent cases of companies expressing public viewpoints to extract learnings about the range of potential stances to adopt to minimize reputation risk.

Findings
This analysis determined that there were four different paths for companies to take – radical behavior change, vocal activism, quiet engagement or strict neutrality – each with its own risks and benefits.

Practical implications
This paper offers practical advice to corporations about how and when they should adopt public stances on social, cultural and political issues in a way that minimizes reputation risk.

Social implications
As corporations become smarter about their public stances, activists and advocates seeking their support will need to make more compelling arguments to gain their endorsement.

Originality/value
While individual corporate controversies about public positions have been written, the author is unaware of any previous comprehensive risk analysis of the reputation risks of public positions by corporations on social, cultural and political issues or recommendations on how to handle the risks.
Getting to clarity: new ways to think about strategy
Authors: Dobni C. Brooke , Klassen Mark , Sands Drummond 
Published: September 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer an opinion of current strategic thinking in North American organizations. By doing so, the paper presents a strategic model organizations can use that focuses on clarity.

Design/methodology/approach
The opinion and strategic framework was informed by authors’ research and consulting experiences over the past 10 years with leading companies across a variety of sectors.

Findings
Many organizations struggle with the strategic tradeoff between control, agility and risk and end up with complicated bureaucratic strategies. The strategic framework of clarity poses five questions that provides clear guidance for achieving focus.

Practical implications
Business leaders can apply the clarity framework to their existing strategic processes. By doing so, they can re-assess strategy and optimize their actions and outcomes to re-focus their strategic thinking in light of the new economy.

Originality/value
The paper offers a fresh perspective and opinion on strategy using familiar examples to executives. The clarity strategy framework provides executives with a simple but focused alternative to avoid strategic traps and learn from success and failure examples.
Wooing the new Chinese businesses: five short-term policies to attract direct investment
Authors: Ramasamy Bala , Yeung Matthew 
Published: September 2016

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify location factors that Chinese managers look for when making internationalization decisions and how the factors stack up in perceived importance. Over the past ten years, Chinese enterprises have become more multi-national in nature. China’s outward foreign direct investment (FDI) has been growing at a phenomenal rate. In 2012, China became the third largest investor, after the USA and Japan; and the largest investor among developing countries. How can host governments attract more of this Chinese capital? What are some short- to medium-term policies that host governments can initiate to make their respective nations attractive to Chinese companies?Design/methodology/approachThe authors consider these questions by using a best-worst choice exercise among 114 senior corporate decision makers of Chinese companies who have or are planning to globalize. We rank 16 most common determinants that influence FDI location choice and evaluate their degree of importance.FindingsThe authors propose five “low hanging fruits” that policy makers should consider that could ensure their countries come within the radar of Chinese multi-nationals. These include promoting a clean and efficient business environment and strengthening/establishing political and economic relationships with China.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in the methodology of the study that forces respondents to make a trade-off in their decisions, which in a way is closer to reality. The respondents are also actual decision makers in their companies with regards to international investment decisions.