scholarly journals Dear supplier, how sustainable are you?

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 127-149
Author(s):  
Iain J. Fraser ◽  
Martin Müller ◽  
Julia Schwarzkopf
Keyword(s):  
Social Desirability ◽  
Social Desirability Bias ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Assessment Data ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Focal Company

AbstractThis article analyses one of the most common tools employed by global focal companies in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) across all industries: supplier sustainability self-assessment questionnaires. Extant research has moved beyond the questions of whether and which suppliers should be assessed. Current research is already focussing on how to share and standardise such assessment data. Despite mounting general research on SSCM, we identified that specific tools such as self-assessment questionnaires have not been empirically analysed in SSCM literature. Thus, this paper addresses the research questions of what differences there are among supplier self-assessment questionnaires and how supplier responses to such questionnaires might be influenced. Our research involves an abductive multiple-case study design and an analysis of over 25,000 responses from globally dispersed suppliers to two types of supplier sustainability self-assessment questionnaires administered and requested by a global automotive focal company.Although the two questionnaires covered similar areas of sustainability practices and were administered to suppliers of the same focal company, the suppliers’ responses demonstrated various observable differences in average sustainability scores.Social desirability bias and supplier assessment fatigue were identified as issues confronting such questionnaires. We find that questionnaire design, how the questionnaire is embedded in the focal company’s processes and institutional settings are factors that potentially influence suppliers’ responses and could counteract social desirability bias and supplier assessment fatigue. Based on these findings we make suggestions for improving these SSCM tools and provide recommendations for further research.

scholarly journals Coordination mechanisms in the store opening process

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 482-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Sandberg
Keyword(s):  
Coordination Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organic Growth ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
A Company ◽  
Opening Process

Purpose – For many retailers organic growth through the opening of new stores is a crucial cornerstone of the business model. The purpose of this paper is to explore the store opening process conducted by retail companies. The research questions cover: first, the role and organisation of the establishment function in charge of the process; second, the activities and functions involved in the process; and third, the coordination mechanisms applied during the process. Design/methodology/approach – This research considers the store opening process as a company-wide project, managed by an establishment function, in which internal functions as well as external suppliers need to be coordinated. A multiple case study of eight retail companies is presented, focusing on the organisation of the establishment function, a mapping of the store opening process and the application of coordination mechanisms. Findings – The role and organisation of the establishment function is described and the store opening process is summarised into 11 main activities to be conducted by either the establishment function or other involved functions. During the store opening process six different coordination mechanisms are utilised, including mutual adjustments and direct supervision, as well as different types of standardisation. Originality/value – This research seeks to improve our understanding for the store opening process and how it can be managed and controlled in an effective manner.

scholarly journals UNDERSTANDING AIRLINE BRAND EQUITY DRIVERS: LESSONS FROM A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-93
Author(s):  
Kallol Das ◽  
Karman Khanna ◽  
Surankita Ganguly
Keyword(s):  
Brand Equity ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Consumer Involvement ◽  
Primary Research ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Cross Case Analysis ◽  
Case Design

There is increasing consumer involvement and hence, investor interest in the airlines industry, as far as emerging economies is concerned. A study of the literature by the authors did not produce any research paper on the process drivers of brand equity in the context of airlines. Therefore, the present study makes an attempt to address this gap. The primary research question is: What are the driving factors for building brand equity in the case of airline services? This paper uses a “two-case” multiple-case design employing theoretical replication. The cases are based on two Indian organizations, Indigo Airlines and Go Air. Both these businesses are similar in many aspects but have achieved very contrasting outcomes. The primary research question is broken down into following two secondary research questions. How is Indigo Airlines building its brand? How is Go Air building its brand? Data collection involved use of documents, archives, observations, participant-observations, and surveys. Data analysis involved conducting cross-case analysis. The findings have been used to develop a conceptual framework for building brand equity in airlines.

scholarly journals "I can't believe I just said that" : discursive filters and beginning mathematics teachers' enactment of ambitious practice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Cara Haines
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Beginning Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Pedagogical Discourses

After being introduced to "ambitious" teaching methods during teacher education, only some beginning teachers attempt to enact those methods, as others gravitate toward the conventional practices that overwhelm K-12 settings. To learn more about why, I conducted a multiple-case study of four beginning secondary mathematics teachers who graduated from three cohorts of one teacher education program and went on to teach in two different schools. Through longitudinal interviews and classroom observations, I examined the teachers' enactment of ambitious practice through the lenses of their discursive teaching identities (critical pedagogical discourses) and perceptions of messages about teaching circulating within their institutional settings (contextual discourses). Findings revealed that the extent to which teachers' critical pedagogical discourses acted as resources for filtering out contextual pressures to teach in conventional ways helped to explain their enactment of ambitious practice. Among other implications, these results suggest that teachers' discourse development should be a more explicit focus of teacher education.

scholarly journals Sustainable practices and the relationship with suppliers in SSCM: a case study in wholesale

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-423
Author(s):  
Arthur Antonio Silva Rosa ◽  
Etienne Cardoso Abdala ◽  
Luciana Oranges Cezarino
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Focal Company ◽  
Main Instrument ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City ◽  
Practical Implications

Goal: The present study aimed to analyze how sustainability of suppliers affect the sustainability of a wholesaler-distributor located in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Design / Methodology / Approach: A qualitative approach was chosen using the case study and content analysis as methodologies and the main instrument for data collection was the interview. Results: The results suggest a direct relationship between the sustainability of the focal company and that of supply chain members, so that the alignment of Triple Botton Line (TBL) practices along the chain is essential to emphasize the effects of these practices and for the company to be considered sustainable, as indicated by sustainable supply chain concepts. Limitations of the investigation: The main limitation was the use of a single case study, which does not allow the generalization of results to other companies. Practical implications: It was possible to analyze the relationship between the sustainable practices of suppliers and the focal company to confirm the need to align sustainable practices throughout the supply chain. The results suggest that companies could improve their performance in environmental, social and economic terms if they observe and evaluate the sustainability of their suppliers, reducing environmental risks and future losses. Originality / Value: In terms of literature, this is a topic that has not been explored yet in terms of the applicability of sustainability in the supply chain, especially in practical issues in the wholesale sector.

scholarly journals Exploring the Relation Between Co-changes and Architectural Smells

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Darius Sas ◽  
Paris Avgeriou ◽  
Ronald Kruizinga ◽  
Ruben Scheedler
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
The Times

AbstractThe interplay between Maintainability and Reliability can be particularly complex and different kinds of trade-offs may arise when developers try to optimise for either one of these two qualities. To further understand how Maintainability and Reliability influence each other, we perform an empirical study using architectural smells and source code file co-changes as proxies for these two qualities, respectively. The study is designed using an exploratory multiple-case case study following well-know guidelines and using fourteen open source Java projects. Three different research questions are identified and investigated through statistical analysis. Co-changes are detected by using both a state-of-the-art algorithm and a novel approach. The three architectural smells selected are among the most important from the literature and are detected using open source tools. The results show that 50% of co-changes eventually end up taking part in an architectural smell. Moreover, statistical tests indicate that in 50% of the projects, files and packages taking part in smells are more likely to co-change than non-smelly files. Finally, co-changes were also found to appear before smells 90% of the times a smell and a co-change appear in the same file pair. Our findings show that Reliability is indirectly affected by low levels of Maintainability even at the architectural level. This is because low-quality components require more frequent changes by the developers, increasing chances to eventually introduce faults.

Digitalization in the cultural industry: evidence from Italian museums

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Raimo ◽  
Ivano De Turi ◽  
Alessandra Ricciardelli ◽  
Filippo Vitolla
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Benefits ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
Research Questions

PurposeThis study aims to analyse the level of digitalization in the cultural industry. More in detail, it aims to examine the determinants and effects of the digitalization level of museum organizations and the role played by the COVID-19 pandemic in the adoption of digital technologies.Design/methodology/approachIn order to answer the research questions, this study uses the multiple case study methodology. In particular, three different museum organizations operating in the Apulian context were examined.FindingsThe findings show that the adoption of digital technologies derives from the desire to attract more visitors, reduce costs, improve the visitor experience and adapt to competitors. On the contrary, they show that the lack of funding represents a drag on the adoption of digital tools. In relation to the effects, the findings show financial advantages connected to an increase in revenues and a reduction in costs and non-financial benefits connected to an improvement of the intangibles. Finally, the results show that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies.Originality/valueThis work enriches the current literature through the analysis of the drivers and effects of digitalization in the museum industry and through the focus on COVID-19. Furthermore, to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines the level of digitalization of museum organizations in the Apulian context.

In Their Own Words: Exploring the Phenomenological Field of a Sample of Employed Persons Who Are Deaf in Barbados

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-18
Author(s):  
Stacey Blackman ◽  
Donna-Maria Maynard
Keyword(s):  
Employment Status ◽  
Poverty Line ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Attitudinal Barriers ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Methodologies

AbstractAn estimated 14,000 persons who are deaf (PWAD) reside in Barbados, many of whom are believed to live below the poverty line. Data on the employment status of PWAD in Barbados is sparse; this research seeks to fill a gap in the literature and inform social policy. Qualitative methodologies were utilized to understand how participation in the labour market influences the lives of PWAD in Barbados. The current research seeks to inquire into the phenomenological field of five persons who are deaf through a multiple case study strategy using focus group interviews. Data were analysed to derive themes common across participants and ecological systems theory was used to understand how PWAD cope in the world of work. The following research questions are addressed in an attempt to capture the unique perspectives of PWAD: (1) What are the experiences of persons who are deaf and employed? and (2) How does having a disability impact the lives of PWAD? The data revealed a relationship between environmental stressors such as attitudinal barriers and discrimination in the workplace and their psychological and behavioural impact in the form of resignation, frustration, isolation and creative coping among PWAD.

scholarly journals INTERNATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: EVIDENCE FROM EMERGING MARKETS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjarne Sorensen
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
International Entrepreneurship ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
International Business Research ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Resource Deployment

<p>This article answers calls for research into the field of international entrepreneurship (henceforth IE) in the context of emerging economies. In doing so, the research simultaneously heeds appeals for greater methodological variety to broaden the scope of inquiry in the field of international business research. Drawing on internationalization and entrepreneurial process modelling theory, this multiple-case study provides unique insights into the phenomena of IE in emerging market settings. It elaborates upon the processes behind IE’s discovery of opportunities; it extends our understanding of IEs resource deployment; and it identifies sources of competitive advantages among IEs in emerging markets. Insights gained from this empirical study were translated into propositions corroborating, elaborating, and challenging existing theory and assumptions. Above all, this research questions our understanding of institutional and transaction cost theory in the internationalization processes of IEs.<br></p>

The Negative Consequences of Becoming a Good Reader: Identity Theory as a Lens for Understanding Struggling Readers, Teachers, and Reading Instruction

2010 ◽  
Vol 112 (7) ◽  
pp. 1792-1829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh A. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Struggling Readers ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Content Area ◽  
Good Reader ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Research Questions

Background/Context The majority of middle school students in U.S. schools are struggling readers and lack the reading abilities needed to successfully comprehend texts, complete reading-related assignments, and learn subject matter content. Researchers have suggested that struggling readers’ comprehension abilities can be improved if their subject-matter teachers provide them with appropriate skill and strategy instruction, as well as regular opportunities to read and discuss texts. However, struggling readers may choose not to apply the reading skills they have been taught and may approach reading tasks in ways that they know prevent them from learning content and that marginalize their abilities to grow as readers. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study The multiple case study presented here was intended to explore how middle school struggling readers and their content-area teachers made decisions about how to work with classroom reading tasks and each other over a period of one academic year. A case study approach allowed for the actions that took place to be closely documented. Theories of identity, including models of identity, identity capital, and discursive identity, framed the analysis for this study and were used to interpret the research questions. The research questions were: (1) How do middle school teachers interact with struggling readers in relation to the reading task demands of their classrooms? (2) How do middle school struggling readers interact with the reading task demands of their content-area classrooms? Setting This study took place in one sixth-grade social studies classroom, one seventh-grade mathematics classroom, and one eighth-grade science classroom. Population/Participants/Subjects The participants were: (a) Sarah and Mrs. O'Reilly in sixth grade, (b) Nicole and Mrs. Harding in seventh grade, and (c) Alisa and Mrs. Baker in eighth grade. Research Design This was a descriptive year-long multiple case study. Data sources included biweekly observations, questionnaires, interviews, and graded class work. Findings Teachers’ interactions with struggling readers were based on (a) their models of identity for what it meant to become a good reader and (b) the discursive identities they created for their students based on their models of identity. Students’ interactions with classroom reading tasks were based on (a) how they identified themselves as readers and (b) their goal to prevent their peers, teachers, or family members from constructing a discursive identity of them as poor readers.

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