bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How to evaluate company directors at state owned enterprises? A framework of virtue and competence based on the Chinese experience
Authors: Xu Xuhong , Hu Tiancheng , Guo Rui , Chen Shang , Ning Lutao 
Published: April 2023

PurposeThis paper proposes a framework for director evaluation in the context of Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs), taking into account the influences of traditional and modern Chinese ideologies.Design/methodology/approachFollowing the Delphi method, a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with Chinese SOE directors.FindingsThe framework used has been validated by examining seven dimensions of virtue and four dimensions of competence functions in Chinese SOEs. Effective and representative characteristics of each dimension are identified through interviews.Originality/valueFirst, through this research, indicators of virtue have been materialized and those of competence have been specified in a broader range. Second, this research provides advice for training of candidate directors whose experience were in private firms before they step in as SOE directors.
Relationship between organisational culture and collective coping strategies in project teams: an exploratory quantitative study in the UAE construction industry
Authors: Badi Sulafa 
Published: April 2023

PurposeThis study explores the role of organisational culture in promoting collective coping strategies in construction project teams in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Three collective coping strategies were examined, including problem-focused, relationship-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies.Design/methodology/approachO'Reilly et al.’s (1991) organisational culture profile (OCP) assessed organisational culture values. Data were collected through an online questionnaire from practitioners in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) construction organisations.FindingsThe findings show a high correlation between competitiveness culture values and problem-focused team coping strategy. Relationship-focused team coping strategy was found to have a high correlation with emphasis on rewards and performance orientation values. Conversely, an emotion-focused team coping strategy correlates highly with competitiveness, supportiveness and emphasis on rewards cultural values.Research limitations/implicationsThe cross-sectional design of the survey and the UAE context may present limits to the generalisability of findings.Practical implicationsLimited attempts have been made to study collective coping in construction project teams. The study paves the path for exploring emergent socio-psychological concepts in construction organisations, including the impact of organisational culture on team collective coping with adverse events.Originality/valueUnderstanding the pivotal impact of culture on successful team coping provides managers with valuable insights into managing situational adversity in construction project teams.
Effect of Ti3SiC2 mass fraction on microstructure and tribological performance of laser cladded NiCr coating at high temperature
Authors: Chengwen Sun , Wei Li , Dejun Kong 
Published: April 2023

Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the effect of Ti3SiC2 on the high-temperature tribological behaviors of NiCr coating, which was beneficial to improve the friction-wear performance of hot work mold.

Design/methodology/approach
NiCr-Ti3SiC2 coatings were prepared on H13 steel substrate by laser cladding. The microstructure, phases and hardness of obtained coatings were analyzed using a super-depth of field microscope, X-ray diffraction and microhardness tester, respectively, and the tribological performance of obtained coatings at 500°C was investigated using a high-temperature tester.

Findings
The results show the NiCr-Ti3SiC2 coatings are comprised of γ-Ni solid, solution, TixNiy, TiC and Ti3SiC2 phases, and the coating hardness is increased with the increase of Ti3SiC2 mass fraction, which is contributed to the fine-grain and dispersion strengthening effect by the addition of Ti3SiC2. The NiCr-Ti3SiC2 coatings present excellent friction reduction and wear resistance by the synergetic action of Ti3SiC2 lubricant and hard phase, and the wear mechanism is predominated by abrasive wear and oxidation wear.

Originality/value
Ti3SiC2 phase was used to reinforce the tribological performance of H13 steel at high temperature, and the roles of friction reduction and wear resistance were discussed.

Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-01-2023-0004/
Do avatar-assisted virtual classrooms work for students with low speaking confidence?: A qualitative study
Authors: Hirata Yoko 
Published: April 2023

Purpose
This study aims to explore if and to what extent an online avatar-assisted virtual classroom can work to alleviate groups of Japanese university students’ anxiety around giving spoken presentations. It also explores how to create a more inclusive language learning environment and encourage interaction between the students in the virtual classroom.

Design/methodology/approach
A self-reported survey compares the same group of students’ responses to three learning contexts: an everyday in-person or conventional English learning classroom; an online videoconferencing-based classroom, via Zoom; and an online “virtual” or avatar-based classroom simulation, via the software “Gather”.

Findings
The findings suggest that the avatar-assisted virtual classroom helps students experience the least amount of fear and apprehension when speaking out loud in English and improves their speaking confidence. Similar to the findings in terms of everyday in-person lessons, the overwhelming majority of students attending Zoom lessons showed high levels of anxiety toward speaking out loud.

Originality/value
Challenges making use of the target language remain a persistent source of stress for Japanese students. The global shift toward online learning and the associated technologies have created opportunities to experiment with novel approaches to teaching. The discussion considers the data in the context of online classroom environments and existing speaking anxiety research. While the sample size is small, this study seeks to provide a safe and non-threatening learning environment for disadvantaged and diverse students, as well as suggestions for further research.
Translating quality criteria in university accreditation
Authors: Degn Lise , Madsen Miriam , Brøgger Katja 
Published: April 2023

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how Danish higher education institutions (HEIs) navigate the demands and expectations of accreditation procedures, and how the limited freedom posed by accreditation schemes is used by HEIs by way of translation.

Design/methodology/approach
Through document studies of policy documents and the institutional self-assessment reports, the paper follows the concept of quality from the international level to the Danish national level, and onwards into the individual HEIs, where the authors examine how notions of quality are constructed through the translation of national regulation, guidelines and procedures of accreditation into the self-narratives of the self-assessment reports.

Findings
The authors find that the national guidelines for accreditation represents a complex translation of supranational guidelines by minimizing certain aspects and enhancing others. This national translation is then analyzed as the frame for the institutional translations where the analysis reveals how HEIs exercise a great deal of agency, within a quite narrow frame constituted by regulations and guidelines.

Originality/value
By using the Olivers (1991) typology of organizational responses, the authors discuss how the HEIs not only imitate and abide to institutionalized norms and concepts of quality but also reformulate, edit, omit and enhance certain elements of quality. The authors demonstrate that when accreditation meets the HEIs, it is clearly the national agendas that are most pervasive and offer the most relevant vocabulary for the HEIs.
The leopard’s spots: changing change management
Authors: Hirsch Peter Buell 
Published: April 2023

Purpose
This study aims to discuss the tension between the almost universal existence of ongoing change management initiatives, the speed of C Suite transitions and the shrinking of middle management.

Design/methodology/approach
This viewpoint looks at coverage of change management initiatives and the statistics on management transitions across different industries.

Findings
The review of the data suggests that the increase in change management initiatives set against senior management instability and the shrinkage in middle management is leading to diminishing returns. The author suggests that increasing stability and consistency in core areas is becoming more important to corporate financial success.

Originality/value
While change management has been extensively studied, little attention has been paid to the juxtaposition of these initiatives with senior management fluidity and shrinking middle management resources.
Psychometric properties of the successful school leadership survey
Authors: Leithwood Kenneth , Sun Jingping , Schumacker Randall , Hua Cheng 
Published: April 2023

PurposeThis study extends research on one of the most frequently cited school leadership frameworks by examining the psychometric properties of the instrument designed to assess many of the practices included in that framework.Design/methodology/approachUsing data collected from 1,401 teachers the study examined the instrument’s measurement invariance, score reliabilities, as well as construct and predictive validities. Polytomous latent trait models (Many-Facet Rasch model), scale and principal component analysis using second-order Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)-Path modelling were used for these purposes.FindingsFindings report levels of score reliability and valid score inferences. Results concerning the predictive validity of the instrument indicate a complex set of relations among the domains of leadership practices measured by the instrument, variables selected as mediators of leaders’ influence, and their direct and indirect effects on student learning.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides researchers with a reliable and valid instrument for use in their future research. Data for the study were provided by elementary teachers in one US state. The extent to which results of the instrument are valid across different cultural and organizational settings remains to be determined.Practical implicationsLeadership developers may find the instrument useful for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of those participating in their programs while leaders themselves many find the instrument useful for self-diagnosis.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the development of school leadership measures by including Rasch modeling among the methods used for examining the instrument’s psychometric properties.
Creating a strategy framework for investor real estate management
Authors: Autio Pauli , Pulkka Lauri , Junnila Seppo 
Published: April 2023

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to introduce a framework that helps to identify strategic themes on which real estate investors form their strategies. A holistic approach to strategic management in real estate management has enjoyed popularity in corporate real estate research, while similar research has been lacking from the investor-based real estate management.Design/methodology/approachThe research design consists of two main parts: 1) formulating propositions based on existing literature and 2) attempting to validate the propositions through a qualitative interview study with major real estate owners in Finland.FindingsThe main finding is that the current real estate investors reflect the transient nature of competitive advantages and assess their strategies accordingly. The companies consider the traditional profitability and revenue growth aspects of their business but also a more long-term future growth dimension. As an outcome, the investors base their strategies on eight strategic themes which are “Innovation”, “ESG”, “Marketing and sales”, “Financial management”, “Leasing management and tenant satisfaction”, “Competitive environment and portfolio management”, “Outsourcing and strategic partnerships” and “Cost and operation optimization”.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper opens opportunities for future research concerning different strategies in real estate investment business and their impacts.Practical implicationsThe presented framework provides support for real estate investors to create real estate management strategy or to evaluate their current strategy and to recognize operational actions and decisions that are relevant for their strategy.Originality/valueThis paper provides an extension to corporate real estate (CRE) literature by showing that the CRE theories are adaptable to real estate investment and provide value for their strategic management. This paper also contributes to real estate investment literature by providing a well-founded and empirically contested strategic management framework, the IREM framework, for identifying strategic themes on which real estate investors form their strategies.
Do diverse frontline employees make a difference in customers' self-concept and store attitude? The role of diversity in body size and ethnicity
Authors: Jones Domenique , Lim Heejin 
Published: April 2023

PurposeAddressing stigmatized identity threat cues customers experience, this study aimed to uncover the effects of frontline employees' ethnic and body-size diversity which lead to customer self-objectification and negative store attitude.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers conducted two studies: Study 1 utilized a one-way ANOVA and a PROCESS mediation model to test the effect of Western beauty-ideal stereotypes on stigmatized identity threat and self-objectification. Study 2 utilized a 2 × 2 experimental design to examine the effects of body-size diversity and ethnic diversity on perceived warmth of sales associates and store attitude.FindingsResults demonstrate that retail store environments which present Western beauty-ideal stereotypes among sales associates cultivate higher levels of stigmatized identity threat cues with their customers, which leads to self-objectification. Also, our findings demonstrated that a lack of ethnic and body-size diversity (i.e. thin and White) among sales associates decreased the perceived sales associate warmth and in turn lowered store attitude.Research limitations/implicationsParticipants of the first study were limited by the White participants. The implications highlight the integral need for retailers to hire sales associates who fall outside the parameters of typical Western beauty standards because today's customers desire inclusive brands who do not discriminate based on ethnicity, body size and other characteristics.Originality/valueThis research utilized social identity theory to uncover the effect of retail sales associate stereotype on customer perception of employees, which has not to our knowledge been previously studied.
Does revealed comparative advantage matter in the gravity of FTAs?
Authors: Ahmed Arsalan , Nazeer Nazia , Zahid GulRukh , Nawaz Faisal 
Published: April 2023

PurposeThis study attempts to recognize the effects of the Pakistan–China free trade agreements (PCFTA) on promoting trade between the two economies.Design/methodology/approachFollowing the concept of revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and free trade agreements, the study first identifies those commodities in which Pakistan and China have a robust RCA and then analyze the effect of PCFTA on the export value of those commodities for the bilateral trade between Pakistan and China. The study used the panel data in which more than the top 150 importers (j) have been selected for each case of Pakistan and China for the period of 2003–2015.FindingsThe study concludes that even with the higher convergence rate, the good RCA does not guarantee a positive effect of the free trade agreement on the commodities.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the existing literature by integrating RCA with the gravity model by adopting a sequential mode for Pakistan–China free trade agreement.
The sustainability of the international AML regime and the role of the FATF. The objectivity of the greylisting process of developing jurisdictions like Pakistan
Authors: Sultan Nasir , Mohamed Norazida , Said Jamaliah , Mohd Azroz 
Published: April 2023

Purpose
This study aims to explore the perception of the compliance officers of the Pakistani financial sector towards the placement of Pakistan on the grey list by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Design/methodology/approach
To achieve this objective, the study adopted a qualitative methodology and conducted semi-structured interviews with different financial institutes and their regulators.

Findings
The study found that role of the FATF is lopsided and politically motivated towards Pakistan. Although Pakistan has loopholes like many other countries, its treatment in the FATF is irregular. Therefore, the decision of the greylisting is not purely based on technical compliance, but political preferences are the determinative aspect.

Originality/value
This study provides a holistic overview of the FATF greylisting mechanism and how Pakistan is treated. This might provide both the FATF and Pakistan to revisit their policies.
Impact of COVID-19 on reading behaviors and preferences: investigating high school students and parents with the 5E instructional model
Authors: Dai Cimei , Chiu Dickson K.W. 
Published: April 2023

PurposeThis research explored how COVID-19 affects Shenzhen high school students' reading behavior and preference and their parents' attitudes toward reading during the lockdown.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted a qualitative approach to conduct one-on-one semi-structured interviews with parents of a boarding high school in Shenzhen, China. Thirteen parents were recruited through a purposeful sampling method, and NVivo12 software was used to analyze the results with a theme-based approach guided by the 5E instructional model.FindingsThe results revealed the effectiveness and problems of high school students' use of electronic resources and discovered changes in the reading behavior of high school students and their parents' attitudes during COVID-19.Originality/valueThere are few studies specifically on the reading behavior of boarding students from a parental view, especially in Asia. This research can fill the gaps in related research during COVID-19.
Does board diversity reduce the likelihood of financial distress in the presence of a powerful Chinese CEO?
Authors: Ali Shoukat , Rehman Ramiz ur , Aslam Shoaib , Khan Ismail , Murtaza Ghulam 
Published: April 2023

PurposeThis paper empirically investigates the impact of board diversity in terms of demographic and cognitive dimensions on financial distress likelihood in an emerging Chinese market to explore whether the Chief Executive Officers' (CEOs) power moderates the relationship between board diversity and the probability of financial distress.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypothesized relationships, demographic diversity through gender, age and nationality, and cognitive diversity through education, expertise and tenure, are taken as independent variables to investigate their impact on the probability of financial distress measured by the Altman China Z score. Data is collected for 13,740 firm-year observations from 2009 to 2018. This study employs panel data regression under fixed effect assumptions. Further, to control the possible endogeneity issue, this study uses a two-step System Generalized Methods of Moments (GMM) model as a robust check.FindingsThe results reveal that board diversity is positively associated with financial distress Z score, suggesting that diverse boards are helpful in reducing the likelihood of financial distress. Moreover, CEO power positively moderates this relationship. It means that board diversity, in the presence of powerful CEOs, is more effective in reducing financial distress likelihood by controlling the wrong financial decisions taken by top executives to reap personal benefits. Further, the robustness model confirms the relationship between board diversity and the probability of financial distress.Originality/valueTo the best of researchers' knowledge, this is one of the earliest studies to investigate board diversity by constructing demographic and cognitive board diversity indexes as a determinant of financial distress likelihood in China. Further, researchers found no study in the literature using CEO power as a contextual variable on the relationship between board diversity and financial distress.
Simple doable goals: a roadmap for multinationals to help achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals
Authors: Haritas Ishwar , Das Arindam 
Published: April 2023

Purpose
This paper aims to present an approach for business organizations, especially multinational enterprises (MNEs), to pivot their focus from the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs) to simple doable goals (SDoGs) so that the probability of impactful and sustainable outcomes increases significantly.

Design/methodology/approach
Through multilevel analyses, the paper identifies the current challenges in the firm-level implementation of the SDGs. Consequently, it synthesizes an integrated solution that can help MNEs create sustainable business models, contributing to realizing the SDGs.

Findings
The sporadic and chaotic adoption of SDGs and ambiguous outcomes reported by businesses are due to the following: SDG adoption choices are driven by the materiality effect; the differences between the UN-defined government targets and business-level targets, often chosen by businesses on their own, make an aggregation of performances infeasible; lack of validation of the firm-level reporting leads to “greenwashing”; focusing less on business model transformation and more on reporting hinders the achievement of true sustainability; and lack of coordination and integration in actionizing among stakeholders limits the holistic change that the SDGs are expected to bring to society. Based on the Prêt à faire – Gestalt matrix, the proposed framework shifts the organization’s focus to the fundamental aspects of the purpose, strategy and business sustainability, and demonstrates how the resultant SDoGs effectively contribute to the realization of the SDGs. The matrix in the framework classifies an MNE based on its overall organizational readiness to seize business opportunities and helps pursue a course of action toward true sustainability.

Originality/value
The guidelines from the proposed framework offer different strategic paths for the MNE to achieve parity, temporary advantage, and, finally, sustained competitive advantage. This transformative approach enables businesses to develop their roadmaps for achieving business sustainability and supporting the realization of the SDGs.
How Do We Write the History of Brexit?
Authors: Saunders Robert 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe vote to leave the European Union in 2016 and the political crisis that followed offer obvious subjects for the political historian. Yet, the study of Brexit raises serious challenges for academic writing, concerning method, the political preferences of the historian and the implication of history as a discipline in the European debate. This article explores some of the dilemmas and opportunities confronting the historian of Brexit, focussing, in particular, on the challenges to be addressed, the utility of conventional political methods and the insights that might be drawn from allied fields. It argues for a greater emphasis on the imaginative resources on which the different campaigns could draw, urging greater attention to conventional wisdoms, languages of class, collective memory and the forging of cultural or exceptionalist identities.