Collaboration strategies for a transition economy: measuring culture in Albania

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narasimha Rao Vajjhala ◽  
Kenneth David Strang

Purpose – The researchers in this study reviewed the literature to locate the most relevant multicultural theories, factors, and instruments in order to measure Albania's national culture. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – An innovative combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to fit the multicultural construct to the sample data and then estimate the national culture (n=73). The multicultural indexes were calculated for five generally accepted national culture factors to compare with the benchmarks published in the literature. Findings – The multicultural indexes were calculated for five generally accepted national culture factors to compare with the benchmarks published in the literature. An asymmetric plot was created for critical comparison of Albania with five other theoretically selected countries, using the indexes for PDi, ICi, MFi, UAi, and LTi. Albania was found to be most similar to its Balkan and Turkish neighbors, as compared with Asian or Western cultures such as that of the USA. Research limitations/implications – The researchers discussed the implications of knowing Albania's national culture profile with reference to how other countries might collaborate and transact with this emerging transition economy. Practical implications – From a business standpoint, the multicultural indexes for Albania provide general indicators of the national beliefs, norms and values, which foreign organizations may compare to their own cultural profile when interacting with professionals in this country. The best use for such indexes is for benchmarking and comparison. Foreign government, private corporations, or nonprofit organizations may compare their own culture profile with that of Albania to be aware of the similarities and differences. Originality/value – Albanian national culture was estimated for the first time in the literature, using a five-factor model adapted from the work of Hofstede.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hichang Cho

PurposeMany internet users exhibit signs of privacy helplessness and entirely give up online privacy management. However, we know little about what privacy helplessness is, when users are likely to experience it and its implications for privacy behavior. The objectives of this study were twofold: (a) the conceptual explication of privacy helplessness as a novel construct in privacy research and (b) the development of a theoretical model that specifies the antecedents and consequences of privacy helplessness.Design/methodology/approachA research model of privacy helplessness that contains three subcomponents of privacy helplessness, five antecedents and one outcome was developed. The model was empirically examined based on survey data collected from 589 Facebook users in the USA.FindingsThe results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that privacy helplessness is adequately assessed by a three-factor model with affective, cognitive and motivational components. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that these three aspects of privacy helplessness are uniquely predicted by five theoretical factors: (a) prior experience of privacy risks, (b) personal mastery, (c) perceived costs of adaptive privacy actions, (d) perceived rewards of privacy inactions and (e) perceived vulnerability. Furthermore, it was found that helplessness as motivational deficits (and cognitive helplessness via this) impedes adaptive privacy actions, while cognitive helplessness promotes adaptive privacy actions when they do not result in motivational deficits.Originality/valueThis study pioneers investigation in understanding key constituents, attributes and processes underlying privacy helplessness. First, the present study developed the first theory-derived, successively validated measurement model of privacy helplessness. Second, this research proposed a theoretical model of privacy helplessness, specifying antecedents and consequences of privacy helplessness.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Garcia-Amate ◽  
Alicia Ramírez-Orellana ◽  
Alfonso A. Rojo Ramirez

PurposeThis study aims to examine the attractiveness of the regional Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) and several renewable energy indexes during December 31, 2010 to December 31, 2019. This study uses a risk-return analysis and a set of explanatory factors. Lastly, this study conducts a comparative analysis of these indexes with conventional indexes. Design/methodology/approachThis study uses data from Eikon, a Thomson Reuters database. To analyze the indexes’ behavior, this study uses the indexes’ annual return as of December 31 for each year. Next, this study estimates the Fama and French’s five-factor model using an ordinary least squares regression for regional DJSI and renewable energy indexes. FindingsThe results show that regional DJSIs delivered returns both above and below conventional indexes. In contrast, renewable energy indexes had high betas and negative returns, making them unattractive to investors. Practical implicationsThe results imply the need for public financing programs that support the transition to a sustainable economy and reduce risk and increase the return on private investment. Social implicationsThis study provides insights for policymakers regarding the importance of sustainability indexes in the transition to a green economy. Originality/valueThis study contributes to the growing literature on Fama and French’s five-factor model of sustainability indexes, especially in the current context characterized by intense green political changes. In particular, this study complements the few studies that have addressed the economic implications of renewable energy indexes in markets.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dane K. Peterson ◽  
Cathryn Van Landuyt ◽  
Courtney Pham

PurposeThis paper examines how the inferred motives for corporate philanthropy relate to the types of charitable causes supported.Design/methodology/approachPublished data were obtained for 256 publicly traded and private corporations from a variety of sources.FindingsThe results demonstrated that a number of motives were not significantly related to total charitable giving, but were related to how charitable funds were distributed to various charitable causes. Thus, the study provides insights on the strategic use of corporate charity as means of achieving various business objectives and advancing a theoretical understanding of corporate philanthropy strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThis study only investigated some of the presumed motives for corporate philanthropy. Even for the motives investigated in this study, no attempt was made to examine all the motivational factors that determine the level of need for a specific motive. Thus, while the present study provides some of the first evidence of a relationship between motivational factors and data on the types of charitable causes supported, there are other motivational factors that could be investigated in future studies.Practical implicationsThe results have a number of implications for managers of nonprofit organizations such as marketing/targeting potential donors. Additionally, the results could be useful for managers of for profit firms in terms of comparing corporate strategies with competing firms.Originality/valueThe study provides a framework for investigating the relationship between motivational factors and types of charitable causes supported.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Yasin Ghadi

Purpose Job crafting is recently argued to have five dimensions (Nielsen et al., 2017): increasing challenging demands, decreasing social demands, increasing social job resources, increasing quantitative demands and decreasing hindrance demands. The purpose of this study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties and construct validity of the five-factor model of job crafting, introduced by using a sample of Jordanian university employees. Design/methodology/approach A pre-determined survey on was used. Accordingly, 513 professional workers in several universities completed the survey. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the internal consistency of the scale, whereas series of confirmatory factor (CFA) analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were conducted to assess the scale’s factorial and discriminant validity. Other tests were also conducted. Findings As predicted, the proposed model best fit the data. Statistical analysis yielded several findings. First, the results of the reliability test revealed that the five sub-scales of job crafting had significant and sufficiently strong internal consistencies. Second, the results showed that the 15 items loaded significantly with a factor loadings more than 0.50. Third, the CFA results confirmed that the five-factor model best fitted the data in comparison to the one-factor model. Finally, the construct validity of JCRQ-15 was confirmed through its correlation with several validating variables. Research limitations/implications Some limitations need to be addressed. First, the sample came from participants working in specific Jordanian universities which may limit the generalization that could be made from the results to other occupations. Second, due to the cross-sectional design of the present study, the question remains whether the JCRQ-15 are stable overtime. Third, the common methods bias might be a problem because it is one of the main sources of measurement error in validation studies using self-reported scales. Originality/value The present study provided an early supportive evidence for the use of the JCRQ-15 as a valid measure of job crafting in the Jordanian context.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Fontes Falcão ◽  
Manuel Saraiva ◽  
Eduardo Santos ◽  
Miguel Pina e Cunha

Purpose After a hiatus in the research on individual differences in negotiation, there has been a surge of renewed interest in recent years followed by several new findings. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects that personality, as structured by the five-factor model, have over negotiation behavior and decision making in order to create new knowledge and prescribe advice to negotiators. Design/methodology/approach This study replicates observations from earlier studies but with the innovation of using a different methodology, as data from a sample of volunteer participants were collected in regard to their personality and behavior during two computerized negotiation simulations, one with the potential for joint gains and the other following a more traditional bargaining scenario. Findings Significant results for both settings were found, with the personality dimensions of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion systematically reoccurring as the most statistically relevant, although expressing different roles according to the type of negotiation and measure being registered. The findings thus suggest a multidimensional relationship between personality and situational variables in which specific traits can either become liabilities or assets depending upon whether the potential for value creation is present or not. Originality/value The new findings on the impacts of personality traits on both distributive and integrative negotiations allow negotiators to improve their performance and to adapt to specific distributive or integrative negotiation situations.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Michael Croucher ◽  
Stephanie Kelly ◽  
Chen Hui ◽  
Kenneth J. Rocker ◽  
Joanna Cullinane ◽  
...  

Purpose In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aims to explore how working remotely might impact the superior–subordinate relationship. Specifically, this study examines how immediacy explains articulated dissent, considers how an individual’s attitudes toward online communication predicts immediacy and articulated dissent and compares these relationships in England, Australia and the USA. Design/methodology/approach Three nations were examined: Australia, England and the USA (n = 1,776). Surveys included demographic questions and the following measures: organizational dissent scale, perceived immediacy measure, computer-mediated immediate behaviors measure and measure of online communication attitude. Findings The results reveal supervisors’ computer-mediated immediate behaviors and perceived immediacy both positively predict dissent. Some aspects of online communication attitudes positively predict computer-mediated immediate behaviors and perceived immediacy. In addition, attitudes toward online communication positively predict dissent. National culture influences some of these relationships; in each case the effects were substantively larger for the USA when compared to the other nations. Originality/value This study is the first to cross-culturally analyze dissent and immediacy. In addition, this study considers the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic influences the superior–subordinate relationship.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Wang ◽  
Ramudu Bhanugopan ◽  
Pamela Lockhart

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine the determinants of organizational performance (OP) of business enterprises located in China and to explore how individual demographic and organizational characteristics affect OP. Design/methodology/approach – This study applies quantitative methods to examine the OP. Data were collected from 405 managers across 306 organizations in China. Findings – The study finds that, overall, OP is related to five factors, namely, finance and customer, internal business, work satisfaction, pay and benefits and innovation and technology (INT). The results from this study provide new perspectives and support the overall validity of the nomological network of OP factors. The findings also provide guidelines on which perspectives of performance organizations should be enhanced. Practical implications – The five-factor model of OP provides benefit to any organization or individual who intends to examine OP in China. In addition, the findings suggest that organizations should explore ways to enforce their performance. The findings also inform organizational decision makers about practices for performance improvement. Originality/value – The present study was undertaken to advance understanding of OP in China in several ways. The most significant element of this study was the five-factor performance model generated from the structural equation modeling analysis. The results from MANOVA highlight the potential impact of organization theory on how demographic and organizational variables influence OP in China.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 500-513
Author(s):  
Seniz Özhan ◽  
Nevin Altug ◽  
Eylem Deniz

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the joint effect of two composite characteristics –openness to experience (OE) and nostalgia proneness (NP) – on product involvement (PI) and whether brand loyalty (BL) is a result of this PI. Design/methodology/approach In accordance with this purpose, a model suggesting that OE dimension of the five-factor model and NP influences PI and PI influences BL was developed and tested. The data used in the study were obtained from 1,392 participants from the Thrace region of Turkey. The authors use a structural equation model to test and confirm hypothesis. Findings OE influences PI and hence BL. On the other hand, it has been concluded that NP has no significant influence on PI. Research limitations/implications This is the first study to examine the influence of OE, one of the personality traits, and NP on BL. In this study, only OE, which is one of the five-factor personality traits, has been examined. Studies in the future may research the relationship between other personality traits and NP, PI and BL. Practical implications This paper provides managerial insights into why consumers’ personality traits and NP need to be taken into consideration in creating BL. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, the influence of OE and NP on BL has not been addressed in the current literature. Personality traits and NP are closely related to individuals’ behaviors as a consumer. Understanding the factors that influence consumer purchase decision processes is of crucial importance to managers and researchers alike. The paper is of great value for firms that consider enhance BL.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-179
Author(s):  
Mashukudu Hartley Molele ◽  
Janine Mukuddem-Petersen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of foreign exchange exposure of listed nonfinancial firms in South Africa. The study spans the period January 2002 and November 2015. Foreign exchange risk exposure is estimated in relation to the exchange rate of the South African Rand relative to the US$, the Euro, the British Pound and the trade-weighted exchange rate index. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on the augmented-market model of Jorion (1990). The Jorion (1990) is a capital asset pricing model-inspired framework which models share returns as a function of the return on the market index and changes in the exchange rate factor. The market risk factor is meant to discount the effect of macroeconomic factors on share returns, thus isolating the foreign exchange risk factor. In addition, the study further added the size, value, momentum, investment and profitability risk factors in line with the Fama–French three-factor model, Carhart four-factor model and the Fama–French five-factor model to account for the fact that equity capital markets in countries such as South Africa are known to be partially segmented. Findings Foreign exchange risk exposure levels were estimated at more than 40% for all the proxy currencies on the basis of the standard augmented market model. However, after controlling for idiosyncratic factors, through the application of the Fama–French three-factor model, the Carhart four-factor model and the Fama–French five-factor model, exposure levels were found to range between 6.5 and 12%. Research limitations/implications These results indicate the importance of controlling for the effects of idiosyncratic facto0rs in the estimation of foreign exchange risk exposure in the context of emerging markets of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Originality/value This is the first study to apply the Fama–French three-factor model, Carhart four-factor model and the Fama–French five-factor model in the estimation of foreign exchange exposure of nonfinancial firms in the context of a SSA country. These results indicate the importance of controlling for the effects of idiosyncratic factors in the estimation of foreign exchange risk exposure in the context of emerging markets.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Elizabeth Challinor ◽  
Simon Duff

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine sexual offending hierarchies constructed by the general public and forensic staff based on personal attitudes and perceived severity of offence. In addition, six sexual offence perpetrators are differentiated using the Five Factor Model of personality. Design/methodology/approach Vignettes represented six sexual offence perpetrators. Participants built a hierarchy based on perceived severity of offence, before attributing personality characteristics to each offender using a Likert-type scale. Findings Contact offenders were perceived as more dangerous than non-contact offenders. Rapists were perceived as the most dangerous, and voyeurs the least dangerous. Offenders were attributed significantly different personality traits. Generally, men who sexually offend are perceived to be low in agreeableness, openness and conscientiousness and high in impulsivity, manipulativeness and neuroticism. Practical implications The research highlights the importance of individual risk assessment in determining best practice treatment for men who have sexually offended (MSO). The Five Factor Model has been proven to be a useful tool to explore the impact staff attitudes have on risk assessment and treatment. Low-risk and high-risk MSO would benefit from divergent treatment. Consideration should be given to personality characteristics in addition to level of risk. Originality/value The research determines a hierarchy of men who sexually offend, and goes beyond the “label” of sexual offenders to explore how personality impacts on formation of attitudes.


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