bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
What one feels and what one knows: the influence of emotions on attitudes and intentions towards knowledge sharing
Authors: van den Hooff Bart , Schouten Alexander P. , Simonovski Stojan 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to provide theoretical and empirical insight into the relationship between emotions and knowledge sharing.Design/methodology/approachHypotheses concerning the influence of pride and empathy on knowledge sharing attitudes and intentions are developed, based on prior research. The hypotheses were tested by means of a survey within the Dutch branch of a global IT organization, in which respondents (n=252) were asked to evaluate one of four different scenarios, invoking either pride or empathy. Respondents were asked their attitude and intention towards knowledge sharing in the situation sketched in the scenario.FindingsPride and empathy were found to affect eagerness and willingness to share knowledge. Furthermore, these emotions also influenced knowledge sharing intentions, partly mediated by eagerness and willingness. Both eagerness and willingness mediate the relationship between pride and knowledge sharing intention, whereas only willingness turned out to mediate the relationship between empathy and knowledge sharing.Research limitations/implicationsAn important limitation is that the scenarios which were used were hypothetical. A suggestion for further research is to conduct a lab experiment (for instance, using a role play situation) in which emotions are manipulated in an interactive setting.Originality/valueEmotions have not been related to knowledge sharing in a systematic way before. By connecting these two areas of research, this study provides new interdisciplinary insights.
Knowledge exchange using Web 2.0 technologies in NGOs
Authors: Matschke Christina , Moskaliuk Johannes , Cress Ulrike 
Published: February 2012

PurposeMembers' knowledge is the most important resource in NGOs and it is important to stimulate its exchange. Knowledge that is needed to act in complex situations is hard to exchange, but Web 2.0 technologies provide a toolbox to develop a knowledge management strategy. The paper aims to specify optimal conditions and necessary measures that NGOs should take in order to successfully use Web 2.0 technologies for knowledge exchange.Design/methodology/approachNGOs and Web 2.0 technologies have specific characteristics in common. It is suggested that these characteristics require certain prerequisites in order to make the use of Web 2.0 technologies successful. Using an iterative and participative design method, a case study is presented that investigated prior boundary conditions and implemented a Web 2.0‐based platform as knowledge management strategy in a large NGO.FindingsNGOs and Web 2.0 are based on strong voluntariness, they are democratic, contribution and personality are strongly tied to each other, and education is rarely formal. Therefore, there is a strong need for contact between members, internal motivation and organizational identification, for quality criteria, for protected spaces and pattern‐structures, if Web 2.0 technologies shall lead to successful knowledge management. The case study demonstrates that considering these circumstances enabled the successful implementation in a large NGO.Practical implicationsThe current research helps NGOs to successfully implement Web 2.0 technologies as a means to support knowledge management. A figure with the crucial questions and the means that have to be taken in dependence of the answers is provided.Originality/valueNGOs do not have the same means to develop formal management strategies as other organizations. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the circumstances that enable knowledge exchange with Web 2.0 technologies is needed. The current research provides information about optimal circumstances and about possibilities to improve less promising circumstances.
Family businesses' succession planning: a seven‐country comparison
Authors: Lussier Robert N. , Sonfield Matthew C. 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to measure and compare differences in levels of family business planning for succession in seven countries: Croatia, Egypt, France, India, Kosovo, Kuwait, and the USA.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology was survey research collecting data from seven countries. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was run to test for differences in family business succession planning between countries, controlling for years in business, number of employees, industry, and type of ownership. ANCOVA was followed by a post hoc pairwise comparisons least significant difference (LSD) to determine which countries did have significant differences in their extent of succession planning.FindingsThe paper finds that there were statistically significant differences in family business succession planning between Croatia, Egypt, France, Kosovo, Kuwait, and the USA. However, there were no statistically significant differences between India and the other six countries.Research limitations/implicationsThere is a growing body of literature focusing on family business succession, as researchers attempt to better understand the problems of passage that can exist in family firms. Thus, an important research question is: why are some family businesses able to successfully manage succession while others are not? Further research is needed to answer this question.Originality/valueThis research is original in that it is the first study to test differences in family business succession planning in multiple countries; thus taking the succession planning literature in a new direction.
Are freelancers a neglected form of small business?
Authors: Kitching John , Smallbone David 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that freelancing is neglected by researchers as a form of small business activity. It aims to consider whether it is possible and useful for researchers to distinguish freelancers from other types of small business owner.Design/methodology/approachThe paper does this in three ways: first, by conceptualising freelance status; second, by examining the research literature on freelance workers; and, third, by estimating the size of the UK freelance workforce to demonstrate their importance.FindingsThe definition proposed permits identification of many types of freelancer hitherto neglected by researchers. Freelancers are a large and growing proportion of the UK business stock and the recent recession has led to a further expansion.Originality/valueGiven the size and distinctiveness of the freelance workforce, researchers might explore the similarities and differences between freelancers and other small business owners with regard to: their motivations for starting and continuing to operate on a freelance basis; experiences of business ownership and management; the heterogeneity of the freelance workforce; and the wider social, economic and political causes and consequences of freelance working.
Impact of owner's knowledge of information technology (IT) on strategic alignment and IT adoption in US small firms
Authors: Chao Chia‐An , Chandra Aruna 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThis study seeks to examine the impact of owner's knowledge of information technology (IT) on business and IT strategic alignment, as well as on IT use in the small firm context, using the resource‐based view as a theoretical foundation.Design/methodology/approachA random sample of 217 small manufacturers and financial services firms in the USA answered a two‐page survey containing questions pertaining to the company's business strategies, the extent IT supported each business strategy, types of IT used, and the level of owner's IT knowledge.FindingsOwner's knowledge of IT was found to be a significant predictor of IT strategic alignment, as well as adoption of traditional IT and internet technologies, while controlling for differences in firm attributes (size, age, industry affiliation, and strategic focus).Practical implicationsSmall firm owners are well advised to seek ways of improving their knowledge of IT, integrating IT use in firm‐level business planning, as well as reexamining their business strategy and IT use to detect and correct misalignments, if any.Originality/valueFrom the resource‐based view, the owner's IT knowledge is a critical resource that cannot be easily codified, hence less susceptible to competitive erosion, since it is embedded in the owner's tacit knowledge and expressed in the unique but complementary use of IT in support of the firm's strategic goals. This study confirmed small firm owner's knowledge of IT as an important, knowledge‐based capability and a vital component of business‐IT strategic alignment.
Business sustainability: empirical evidence on operational skills in SMEs in South Africa
Authors: Urban Boris , Naidoo Reggie 
Published: February 2012

PurposeActivities in the manufacturing sector are often considered the bedrock of an economy and a key driver of growth and development. Within the South African manufacturing sector, operations skills are reported to be deficient and are often cited as a main cause of failure in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). This study aims to explore and test this fragile relationship between operations skills and SMME sustainability. It also aims to conduct empirical investigations in a high density SMME manufacturing environment.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on previously established literature on SMME sustainability and operations skills, various measures are developed and tested for reliability and validity. Factor analysis is used to identify relevant factors in terms of operations skills. Correlational analysis is then employed to test the hypothesized relationship. The study is cross‐sectional in design and relies on trained fieldworkers administering surveys to a diverse set of SMMEs.FindingsFive clear factors for operations skills are identified which further show links with business sustainability. The hypothesis is supported where significant correlations reveal that several operations skills are positively associated with sustainability.Practical implicationsSMME owners, educators and service providers can all benefit from the study's findings by the increased awareness on the nature and associations that operational skills have on developing sustainable SMMEs.Originality/valueThe study focused on a neglected area of SMMEs – the importance of operations towards business sustainability, and has made a contribution towards theory development through empirical explorations. This is a first in South Africa where an instrument measuring operations skills has been validated and associated with SMME sustainability in a manufacturing context.
A comparative study of recruitment and training practices between small and large businesses in an emerging market economy
Authors: Greenidge Dion , Alleyne Philmore , Parris Brian , Grant Sandra 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThis study seeks to determine differences between recruitment processes and methods and training practices used in small and large businesses in the retailing, manufacturing, and tourism sectors in an emerging economy, Barbados.Design/methodology/approachThe research utilized a quantitative survey covering 49 retailing, manufacturing and tourism‐oriented organizations to ascertain whether small organizations practice the procedures and methods outlined in the prescriptive literature on recruitment and training compared with large organizations. Institutional theory and resource‐based view informed the research.FindingsIt was found that recruitment processes and methods and training practices vary among small and large organizations. It suggests that, in Barbados, small businesses are likely to rely on informal recruitment methods and informal training practices compared with large businesses.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is only conducted across the retailing, manufacturing and tourism sectors in Barbados. The findings may have implications for management in other sectors, and small and large businesses in emerging economies.Practical implicationsThe results provide academics and managers in both large and small businesses with insights into recruitment and training practices in small and large businesses in an emerging economy.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the limited research done on recruitment and training activities among small‐sized and large‐sized firms in the English‐speaking Caribbean.
The pros and cons of Microsoft Academic Search from a bibliometric perspective
Authors: Jacsó Péter 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to look at the pros and cons of Microsoft Academic Search (MAS) from a bibliometric perspective.Design/methodology/approachThis paper describes the major content and software features of MAS, and its shortcomings.FindingsThe paper recommends some further enhancements, and the use of care and caution when interpreting the metrics produced by cited reference enhanced databases, especially those created on the basis of the idea of autonomous citation indexing.Originality/valueThe paper reveals pros and cons of MAS. A free bibliometric service is a project of great interest to those interested in metrics‐based research performance evaluation.
The non‐monotonic governance effects of large shareholdings in Chinese listed companies: an overinvestment perspective
Authors: Luo Jin‐hui , Wan Di‐fang 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of large shareholdings from the agency problem perspective of overinvestment, and re‐test the role of board independence in the context of concentrated ownership.Design/methodology/approachUsing a five‐year panel data of Chinese non‐financial listed companies between 2001 and 2005, the paper estimates both a fixed‐effects model and a random‐effects model.FindingsThe paper finds evidence of a significant non‐monotonic relationship between large shareholdings and firm level overinvestment. It also finds that state‐owned firms and firms with more independent directors experience lower level of overinvestment. However, firms with more frequent meetings experience a higher level of overinvestment.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper's findings indicate that concentrated ownership is not always a bad thing. The crux of the matter is how to induce large shareholders' incentive to monitor managers' opportunistic behaviors and restrict their motivation to expropriate minority shareholders.Practical implicationsIn the context of concentrated ownership, the key to improve corporate governance is to strengthen board independence.Originality/valueThe paper provides useful information on non‐monotonic governance effects of large shareholdings in Chinese listed companies and overinvestment.
UK audit committees and the Revised Code
Authors: Avison Lynn , Cowton Christopher J. 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe audit committee is one of the most prominent board sub‐committees, having a potentially important role to play in ensuring sound corporate governance. This paper aims to examine and discuss the behaviour of companies following revisions to the UK's Revised Code.Design/methodology/approachA variety of annual report data from a sample of 50 UK companies, stratified according to size, is collected and analysed.FindingsGeneral compliance with many provisions of the Revised Code was found. All but one company had an audit committee comprising solely non‐executive directors. However, in about a quarter of cases the chairman was a member, and in some cases directors were not “independent” according to the Code's definition. Nevertheless, many companies exceeded the minimum stipulated requirements, for example the number of non‐executive directors on the audit committee or the number of meetings held. Some companies, though, did not follow recommended practice, particularly regarding the disclosure of information, and some explanations for non‐compliance were weak.Research limitations/implicationsCompliance with disclosure demands regarding audit committees could be improved, as could the quality of explanations when the recommendations of the Code are not followed. It would be sensible for regulators to monitor this, provide more detailed guidance and highlight examples of good practice. Given the resistance of many companies to corporate governance regulation and accusations of “box ticking”, future research should probe why many companies do more than is required or recommended. The research should be repeated when further revisions to the Code are made in respect of audit committees, and practice in countries other than the UK should be researched to provide comparative insights.Originality/valueThis paper provides useful information on the behaviour of companies following revisions to the UK's Revised Code.
Shareholder wealth reaction to officer leave of absence announcements
Authors: Ouyang Bo , Picou Armand , Elzweig Brian 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThis paper seeks to explore empirically the shareholder reactions to an officer leave of absence (OLOA) announcement.Design/methodology/approachA standard event study methodology is applied to daily stock holding period returns. The sample studied consists of 104 firms announcing an OLOA and is further delineated by both reasons offered and the title of the officers in the event. A cross‐sectional analysis is used to study the reactions found.FindingsThe paper documents a statistically significant negative response from shareholders: a 4.9 percent mean loss across 104 firms in the sample. Cross‐sectional results indicate that board independence and the passage of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) influence abnormal returns.Practical implicationsThe evidence in this study clearly suggests the value‐relevance of the OLOA announcements. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the impact of OLOA announcements on firm value is important to investors.Originality/valueEvent studies of management turnover primarily focus on the event of formal executive turnover per se and largely ignore events of temporary turnovers. This paper examines market response to OLOA (a corporate event that may precede permanent management turnover). It uncovers varied significant market reactions. Some insignificant results in prior event studies may be partially explained by information released through preceding events of temporary turnovers.
CSR norms and organizational learning in the mining sector
Authors: Dashwood Hevina S. 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an explanation for the global influences and dynamics that have led major mining companies to adopt corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies, and frame them in terms of sustainable development. Bad reputations stemming from environmental disasters and social disharmony led mining multinationals to adopt CSR policies and improve their practices. Rationalist expectations about what is driving firm responses to external pressures are a necessary, but insufficient, explanation of how and why mining companies have sought to improve their reputations. Three elements are necessary to explain firm responses, including strategic adaptation to external pressures, learning processes associated with CSR, and internalization of sustainable development norms, understood as standards of appropriate behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a multidisciplinary theoretical framework for explaining the adoption of CSR policies and practices on the part of mining companies, and applies that framework to case studies of two major mining companies with global operations.FindingsAn account of learning processes and norms socialization as they relate to CSR provide a more comprehensive explanation of how and why mining companies adopt CSR policies. Incorporation of these elements provides a better explanation of why mining companies began to frame their CSR policies in terms of the global norm of sustainable development.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the theoretical understanding of how and why firms adapt to changing societal expectations about appropriate corporate behavior by integrating two sets of literatures; constructivism from international relations theory, and learning from organization theory.
Risk mitigation strategies for guaranteed maximum price and target cost contracts in construction
Authors: Chan Joseph H.L. , Chan Daniel W.M. , Chan Albert P.C. , Lam Patrick T.I. 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThere is a lack of empirical research on risk mitigation strategies for those construction projects procured by guaranteed maximum price contracts (GMP) and target cost contracts (TCC). The paper aims to identify and analyse the risk mitigation strategies for GMP/TCC construction projects from the Hong Kong perspective.Design/methodology/approachA total of 94 industrial practitioners with both sound knowledge and abundant hands‐on experience of the GMP/TCC methodology participated in an industry‐wide empirical questionnaire survey to indicate their levels of agreement on those 18 risk mitigation strategies identified from reported literature and in‐depth interviews which were later analysed by factor analysis.FindingsThe results of factor analysis revealed that the 18 individual risk mitigation strategies can be consolidated into seven underlying grouped factors: relational contracting and mutual trust; clear contract provisions and well‐defined scope of works; involvement of contractor in decision making process; right selection of project team; third party review of project design at tender stage; standard contract clauses for GMP/TCC schemes; and fair treatment of contractor.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough both GMP/TCC contracts have been increasingly popular in the construction market of Hong Kong, not all of these projects have been equally successful and some of them have been exposed to very high risks or uneven allocation of risks. A detailed analysis and an implementation of recommended effective risk mitigation strategies are essential to the success of GMP/TCC schemes.Originality/valueThe research findings of this study are expected to help the decision makers to generate useful insights into risk mitigation strategies when administering GMP/TCC contracts at an early stage of project delivery and lay a solid foundation for further research on GMP/TCC in both local and international contexts.
Factors contributing to successful public private partnership projects
Authors: Cheung Esther , Chan Albert P.C. , Kajewski Stephen 
Published: February 2012

PurposeWith the increasing interest in public private partnership (PPP), there is a need to investigate the factors contributing to successful delivery of PPP projects. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the perceptions of respondents from Hong Kong, Australia and the UK on the importance of 18 such factors.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical questionnaire survey was conducted in Hong Kong and Australia. The survey respondents were asked to rate 18 factors which contribute to delivering successful PPP projects.FindingsThe findings from this survey were further compared with the results achieved by a previous researcher in a similar survey conducted in the UK. The comparison showed that amongst the top five success factors ranked by Hong Kong respondents, three were also ranked highly by the Australians and British. These success factors included: “Commitment and responsibility of public and private sectors”; “Strong and good private consortium”; and “Appropriate risk allocation and risk sharing”. Therefore, it can be concluded that there are certain common critical success factors for conducting PPP projects, irrespective of the geographical locations.Originality/valueThe findings presented in this paper have highlighted the most significant critical success factors which may be applicable to all jurisdictions, and also those which are specifically for Hong Kong and Australia. It is believed that the participants of future PPP projects can use these findings to maximize the success of conducting similar projects.