bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Betwixt or beyond the lines of conflict? Biculturalism as situated identity in multinational corporations
Authors: Blazejewski Susanne 
Published: May 2012

PurposeBiculturals are portrayed as “ideal” boundary spanners and conflict mediators in MNC who switch between or transcend multiple cultural and/or organizational. The paper aims to critically analyze the assumptions behind this positive view on dual identity in MNC and provide an alternative conceptualization re‐positioning dual identity as a situated and potentially contested process.Design/methodology/approachThe paper theoretically juxtaposes existing concepts of dual identity in the international business literature with recent advances in research on identity in organization studies and psychology as well as critical perspectives on identity.FindingsA situated approach to biculturalism provides for a greater variety of identity management strategies corresponding to the metaphors of “surfer”, “soldier”, “struggler”, and “strategist” alike, depending on the identity repertoire available, the perceived situation at hand and the interactive processes of identity construction unfolding. From this perspective, the conflict potential associated with dual identity in MNC does not automatically dissolve as suggested by the literature so far, but depending on the situated enactment of dual identity might actually increase, intensify or even re‐direct the lines of conflict.Research implications and limitationsThe paper develops a comprehensive concept of situated bicultural identity processes in organizational contexts, which can serve as a guiding framework of further empirical research on biculturalism in MNC and also provides initial discussions about suitable hypotheses development in this area.Originality/valueThe international business literature so far is dominated by a limited understanding of biculturalism in MNC, strongly influenced by the concept of frame switching in cross‐cultural psychology. The paper introduces an alternative concept of biculturalism as a situated process, which can serve as a framework for further and more varied research on biculturalist identity negotiation in MNC.
An institutional‐cognitive perspective on headquarters‐subsidiary conflicts
Authors: Piotti Geny 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to provide an institutional‐cognitive explanation for headquarters‐subsidiary conflicts based on institutionalism and social psychological studies on rationality.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on an empirical qualitative study of German SMEs with subsidiaries in China and on the analysis of the German press on China.FindingsThe study shows that headquarters take decisions on internationalization under legitimation pressure, which pushes companies to reorganize in accordance with what is considered successful, appropriate, and common practice in the field. However, apparently very profitable and hence strongly legitimated options can lead to the creation of expectations based more on wishful thinking than on the reality that subsidiary managers have to address. This can foster conflicts between headquarters and a subsidiary.Research limitations/implicationsBeing based on a qualitative empirical study, the paper cannot provide a precise measure of the relationship between legitimation and cognition in headquarter‐subsidiary conflicts but instead identifies theoretical relationships between the two dimensions that can be investigated further in future research.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study highlight the necessity for research to devote more critical attention to decision‐making processes about internationalization and for companies to reflect on the driving forces for their decision making as well as the consequences in terms of potential conflicts.Originality/valueBy investigating the relationship between cognitive mechanisms and social processes of legitimation, the paper goes beyond a purely macro or micro explanation of conflict which characterizes both mainstream and critical approaches.
The international trade in conflict minerals: coltan
Authors: Ayres Christopher J. 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThis paper seeks to explicate issues of harm to humanity caused by the mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of coltan, a conflict mineral used in the manufacture of mobile phones and other devices. It seeks to develop remedies and draw an end to a particularized form of human suffering in the DRC (a significant supplier of the mineral) where in its easternmost regions coltan fuels a long‐standing war and unremitting atrocities.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is presented in six sections: Introduction, Background and regional parties, The scramble, Resource curse, Approaches and alternatives, and Conclusion. It is based on primary sources accruing from more than a decade in which the author worked and resided in the Great Lakes region of Africa, initially as a UN Attorney in Rwanda (1994‐1995), and subsequently as Director/Attorney of an international human rights and humanitarian non‐profit organization (1996‐2005). Further work has been undertaken in Europe between 2005 and the present. The paper additionally employs secondary materials and explores the regional, historical, political and economic contexts necessary for effective understanding of the relevant issues.FindingsThe central issue is whether remedies are available to halt the negative consequences procurement of minerals in developing regions has on local and regional populations. The specific concern is whether the cell phone industry can ensure that it is not using a mineral that causes vast bloodshed including war and violations of human rights, and how a conflict that has already caused suffering of historical dimension can be brought to a halt. Manufacturers to date cannot provide assurances. Several key issues, insights, approaches and solutions could change the status quo and conceivably end long‐standing conditions of war. This paper sets them forth.Practical implicationsAn entire industry could change the way it does business if the problems that are the subject of this paper are dealt with effectively, whether by the means suggested here or additional measures. Millions of people bearing the brunt of a deadly trade could find relief, ending large‐scale human suffering in a forsaken region. A substantial reduction in crimes against humanity and war crimes can be realized. Working conditions, substandard in the extreme, can improve for miners. A precedent can be set without imposing undue hardships on the industry – a benefit to the industry and consumers.Originality/valueThe paper relies foremost on direct experience in the relevant regions covering a period of 17 years. It presents several novel approaches to solving the core problem. It suggests solutions for governing bodies and industry and actions an individual may personally adopt to effectively address a problem of global dimension.
Lessons from photoelicitation: encouraging working men to speak
Authors: Slutskaya Natasha , Simpson Alexander , Hughes Jason 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the possibilities of incorporating such visual methods as photoelicitation and photovoice into qualitative research, in order to retrieve something that, as a result of particular group socialisation, has been hidden, unspoken of or marginalised.Design/methodology/approachThe research design combines 40 in‐depth verbal interviews with male butchers, with the use of photoelicitation and photovoice, in order to increase participant control of data generation.FindingsResults suggest that photoelicitation enabled working‐class men to engage with themes which are rarely reflected on or discussed; which may sit uneasily with desired presentations of self; and which challenge traditional notions of gendered work. It prompted participants to elaborate and translate their daily experiences of physical labour into more expressive and detailed accounts. This provided room for the display of positive emotions and self‐evaluation and the surfacing of the aesthetics and the pleasures of the trade – aspects that might have been otherwise concealed as a result of adherence to identity affirming norms. Photoelicitation also evoked powerful nostalgic themes about the past: a lament for the loss of skills; the passing of the time of closer communities and more traditional values.Originality/valueThe use of photovoice and photoelicitation in the exploration of a class and gendered “habitus” has highlighted the power of visual methods to offer a closer look at what participants considered important, to open space for the emergence of unexpected topics and themes and to allow for more comprehensive and reflective elaboration on specificities of personal experiences and emotions.
(Im)perfect pictures: snaplogs in performativity research
Authors: Bramming Pia , Gorm Hansen Birgitte , Bojesen Anders , Gylling Olesen Kristian 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore a visual method, snaplog (snapshots and logbooks) from a performativity theory approach.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses empirical examples from a three‐year qualitative research project where snaplogs are used as an experimental method. The paper presents a reading of performativity theory and discusses the performativity of using visual methods in the research process.FindingsThe paper concludes that visual methods have a special ability to activate the field in a way that avoids preconceived ideas, and creates possibilities to observe the researched phenomenon and how it practices, resists and revoices the questions asked by the researchers.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper explores and discusses the authors’ experiences and reflections on the positioning and scope of using snaplogs as a visual method. It does not report a systematic evaluation of its implications.Practical implicationsSnaplogs offer the researcher the possibility to activate and cooperate with the researched phenomenon.Originality/valueThe potential value of the paper is that it offers inspiration to organization researchers looking for innovative/performative research methods.
Psychoanalysis, collective viewing and the “social photo matrix” in organizational research
Authors: Warren Samantha 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to put forward an argument for the importance of social and situational dynamics present when groups of organizational members view images. This both enriches psychoanalytic theories of the visual previously brought to bear on this topic and adds a valuable psychoanalytical perspective to visual organization studies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper extends Burkard Sievers’ concept of the “social photo matrix” (SPM) through an interdisciplinary review of literature in psychoanalysis, audiencing, media studies and social theory.FindingsA socially nuanced variant of the SPM is put forward as a way to explore organizational members’ experiences of work and employment, as part of a nascent “visual methodological approach” to studying organization(s).Research limitations/implicationsThe ideas within this conceptual paper would benefit from empirical investigation. This would be a fruitful and interesting possibility for future research.Practical implicationsThe paper concludes with a discussion of the contemporary utility of the SPM as a psychoanalytically‐motivated method through which to understand visually‐mediated effects of organizational action, as collectively experienced by their members and stakeholders.Originality/valueThe paper makes a particular contribution to the poorly‐researched area of the collective reception of organizational images and opens up possibilities to work with the hidden anxieties and defences that arise in the course of organizational action.
Exploring the visual in organizations and management
Authors: Davison Jane , McLean Christine , Warren Samantha 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss how “the visual” might be conceptualised more broadly as a useful development of qualitative methodologies for organizational research. The paper introduces the articles that form the basis of this special issue ofQROM, including a review of related studies that discuss the analysis of organizational visuals, as well as extant literature that develops a methodological agenda for visual organizational researchers.Design/methodology/approachThe Guest Editors’ conceptual arguments are advanced through a literature review approach.FindingsThe Guest Editors conclude that studying “the visual” holds great potential for qualitative organizational researchers and show how this field is fast developing around a number of interesting image‐based issues in organizational life.Research limitations/implicationsA future research agenda is articulated and the special issue that this paper introduces is intended to serve as a “showcase” and inspiration for qualitative researchers in organizations and management studies.Originality/valueThis issue ofQROMis the first collection of visual research articles addressing business and management research. The Guest Editors’ introduction to it seeks to frame its contents in contemporary interdisciplinary debates drawn from the wider social sciences and the arts.
Reliability and factor structure of a trait emotional intelligence measure in four Arab countries
Authors: Mohamed Ahmed A. , El Khouly Sayed , Saad Mohamad 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the reliability and factor structure of the Arabic translation of the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS‐41‐A), a popular trait‐based emotional intelligence test in Arab countries.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 453 professionals from Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE completed the EIS‐41‐A.FindingsFindings show that the Arabic scale did have acceptable reliability and demonstrated the same factor structure as the original English language scale.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the study include the small sample size from some of the countries included.Originality/valueThis is the first paper to investigate the characteristics of an Arabic language emotional intelligence scale and opens the door to further research on emotional intelligence in the Arab world.
Divergent glocalization in a multinational enterprise
Authors: Brumana Mara , Delmestri Giuseppe 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to unpack the organization of an multinational enterprise (MNE) and confront its meso‐level complexity of structures and strategies. It seeks to uncover how the glocalization process unfolds, which are the mechanisms at its base and the outcomes in terms of stability, convergence or divergence in strategies and structures.Design/methodology/approachThrough a case study research design, the paper investigates strategic change in an Italian MNE from 2005 to 2011. In 2008 and 2010, extensive data on organizational configurations were also collected. Overall, the paper analyses the glocalized blending of corporate and subsidiary strategies and organizational structures. Attention is also paid to the cognitive, political and institutional mechanisms that accounted for this process before and during the late‐2000 financial crisis.FindingsGlocalization, largely interpreted as an in‐between process compromising between homogeneous global standards and heterogeneous local traditions, unfolds as a beyond process leading to divergent outcomes outside the poles of an imagined local‐global continuum. The mechanisms driving strategic change partly differ from those usually described in strategic change literature emphasizing managerial cognition. Sensegiving from the center is found to be proactive during economic expansion and reactive during economic downturn. Following change initiation, cognitive mechanisms are “taken over” by political and institutional ones. Paradoxically, local societal‐specific patterns of organization and strategy were preserved due to the actions of powerful central HQ actors.Originality/valueA theory of institutional‐bound strategic change within MNEs is outlined.
Are firms' lobbying strategies universal? Comparison of lobbying by French and UK firms
Authors: Rival Madina 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThe central question in this article is: do recurring types of corporate lobbying strategies exist (in the same way as for generic strategies, for example)? The objective of this research is to define a typology of lobbying strategies implemented by French and UK firms, and then to discuss to what extent firms' political strategies are universal or country‐specific.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study examined 679 lobbying campaigns (also known as “political action”) of French and UK firms. They were grouped into categories and described using statistical data analysis techniques (multiple correspondence analysis and classification).FindingsThe results highlight a pattern in the corporate lobbying phenomenon: five types of lobbying strategy (that can be described and illustrated) exist for French firms, and four for UK firms. Tentative explanations can be put forward: implementation of lobbying strategies appears to depend on the type of issues addressed (which could be universal), but also on the country's political environment (which could be country specific). The study shows the interdependent influence of organisational resources, economic structures and the political environment (laws and the role of the state) on firms' lobbying strategies. Thus, societal effects theory could be applied to firms' political strategies, which are global and local at the same time.Originality/valueLobbying public decision makers is an increasingly widespread managerial practice, but has so far attracted little research attention in Europe.
Impacts of direct government payments on US agriculture: evidence from 1960‐2010 data
Authors: Zou Yang , Wang Qingbin 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of direct government payments on agricultural production and exports in the USA.Design/methodology/approachAlternative regression models are estimated using the time‐series data of 1960 to 2010 from ERS/USDA to address the research questions.FindingsRegression results suggest that current direct government payments had negative influences on US agricultural production and exports, and the lagged influences were positive, but as a whole the impacts of direct government payments were very limited.Practical implicationsFindings from this study provide useful information to agricultural policymakers in the USA, as well as other nations such as China. China may learn from the US experience in developing agricultural subsidies that are effective and allowed under WTO.Originality/valueWhile many agricultural trade disputes under WTO are related to the question of whether domestic government supports have boosted agricultural production and exports or reduced imports, this paper addresses the question based on empirical analysis.
Willingness to pay for traceable pork: evidence from Beijing, China
Authors: Zheng Shi , Xu Pei , Wang Zhigang , Song Shunfeng 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of the food traceability system in China, examine factors that affect consumers' perception of a food traceability system, and determine their willingness to pay for having the system.Design/methodology/approachBeijing, one of the largest pork markets in urban China, was chosen and 400 consumers were randomly interviewed using questionnaires and finally a logistic model was employed to analyze consumers' willingness to pay for traceable pork.FindingsThe authors found that consumers' perception of pork traceability system is subject to a comparatively low level. Purchasing of traceable pork is affected by gender, self‐evaluation of health, awareness of the traceability system, concern about food safety, and the stochastic price willing to pay.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to quantify Chinese consumers' valuation for traceable pork and it helps pork producers and marketers understand consumers' willingness to pay a small premium of 4.5 RMB/kg (0.7 USD) for traceable pork. This finding has imperative policy implications that could help the government deal with the high cost associated with the use of a pork traceability system.
A pseudo‐longitudinal study of intranet use in hospitals
Authors: Chun Cheong Fong Steve , Quaddus Mohammed 
Published: May 2012

PurposeThis paper investigates the roles of the time for system enhancement, work place relocation, and other organizational constructs, such as organization support, task characteristics, intranet characteristics and user characteristics in the use of intranet and web‐enabled applications (IWAs) for supporting management accounting in public hospitals.Design/methodology/approachThe research was carried out in Hong Kong public hospitals, and a pseudo‐longitudinal study spans a duration of one‐and‐a‐half years to observe changes that occur over time. A two‐phased survey research which investigated how the use of IWAs supports management accounting was also conducted for this study.FindingsThe survey results unearthed a number of findings. In the phase I survey, intranet user information satisfaction had a direct significant impact on information quality of management accounting systems (MASIQ). The extent of task characteristics also improves the performance of MASIQ. However, mixed research results were found regarding the presence of top management support and IS experience of users and their contribution to intranet user information satisfaction and MASIQ. User training also did not show any significant impact on intranet user information satisfaction and MASIQ. The phase II survey results reflect two additional findings. First, workplace relocation (one office management practice) was found to have a negative impact on the support of management accounting. Second, the time for system enhancement improves the acceptance of IWAs in public hospitals.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides support for certain prior research findings though some other findings were not consistent with expectations. The study was based on 157 hospital executives in the phase I survey and 147 hospital executives in the phase II survey. The findings are generalized reliably to the population studied – Hong Kong public hospitals. More research is needed for explorations of these findings. The research results contribute to the knowledge of uses of intranet for management accounting and control in public hospitals.Practical implicationsThe research offers insights into management accounting and control systems, as they are implemented through intranet in public hospitals. Work place relocation is less effective for grouping talents to work in offices at different locations. Face‐to‐face communication at a workplace is more efficient than communication through intranet applications. The study reinforced the belief that top management support is of prior concern in improving managerial performance.Originality/valueThe roles of IWAs on the time for system enhancement and workplace relocation have not previously been studied. The results provide some useful support of prior findings and some modifications as well as extensions that further understanding in these areas.