scholarly journals Disinterested agents or mismatched plans?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunil Tankha ◽  
Sunita Ranabhat ◽  
Laxmi Dutt Bhatta ◽  
Rucha Ghate ◽  
Nand Kishor Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Organizational Capabilities ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Administrative Structures ◽  
Organizational Challenge

Purpose Developed countries agreed at COP15 to pay US$100bn annually for adaptation and mitigation in developing countries. This paper aims to evaluate how prepared are donors and recipients to spend this money well by analyzing institutional and organizational capabilities for climate change adaptation in least developed country (LDC) administrations using the case of Nepal, a country which can be considered to be an archetypal LDC. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted over 100 in-depth structured qualitative interviews with government officials from across the organizational chain in the ministries concerned with climate change, ranging from the lowest-ranked employee to just under the ministerial ranks. This was supplemented with detailed surveys of three representative communities from different ecological zones in Nepal. Data were analyzed using Ostrom’s IAD framework. Findings Local administrations are more motivated and capable than are given credit for by donors but nevertheless face critical barriers in being able to function autonomously and confront climate change challenges. These barriers create three interrelated challenges: An organizational challenge to create intrinsic incentives which empower and grant autonomy to front line agents, an institutional challenge to go beyond accountability-focused process validation and a policy-choice challenge which avoids the temptation to write aspirational policies without clear and feasible strategies to obtain the resources necessary for their implementation. Practical implications The findings point to ways climate assistance can be restructured for more reach and effectiveness. Originality/value This paper fills a gap in the literature because community structures and institutions have been extensively analyzed in the context of adaptation, but despite being criticized, administrative structures have rarely been directly studied.

Comparing entrepreneurial communities

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Paul ◽  
Archana Shrivastava
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mba Students ◽  
Emerging Country ◽  
Survey Responses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare entrepreneurial attributes of MBA students, the next generation business people, from two important Asian countries, India from South Asia and Japan from East Asia (India, being an emerging country and Japan, a developed country). Design/methodology/approach – Survey responses from MBA students in India and Japan were measured on an entrepreneurial personality index. Bateman and Crant’s scale consisting of 17 traits is used to identify if entrepreneurial traits are a learned cultural behaviour or intrinsic personality factors. Findings – Although the findings indicate that India has benefitted from entrepreneurship in the information technology and information technology-enabled service ventures during the past two decades, the country still has a long way to go when compared to developed countries like Japan, where entrepreneurship is widespread. Research limitations/implications – The results are based on a single survey, using cross-sectional data. Originality/value – The level of entrepreneurship differs considerably across countries and periods. The authors put forward a theoretical framework to denote the linkage between entrepreneurial attitude, pro-active personality and culture, besides highlighting the three pillars of entrepreneurship.

Start-up motives and challenges facing female entrepreneurs in Tanzania

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nsubili Isaga
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Access To Finance ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Research on women-owned business is more extensive in developed countries than in developing countries and such one cannot compare the results. This paper aims to examine the motives of women in Tanzania (a less developed country) to start their own businesses and the challenges they faced in running their businesses. Design/methodology/approach Based on 400 response to a semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interview with 20 female entrepreneurs. Subsequently, descriptive and factors analysis were performed to analyze the data Findings Based on survey responses, the primary reason for starting a business was to create employment for the woman herself. Other motives include supplementing income and enabling women to be able to do the kind of work they wanted to do. According to the factor analysis, female entrepreneurs are driven more by push factors than pull factors. The most serious problems faced by female entrepreneurs are lack of access to finance, gender-related problems and social and cultural commitments. Research limitations/implications The sample was selected from urban areas of only three regions, out of 26 regions in Tanzania. Researchers may extend the study to other regions; also, the non-probability sampling method used in this study essentially means that there is a limitation to the extent to which the research findings can be generalized to the rest of the population of female entrepreneurs in Tanzania. Practical implications Policy makers, financial institutions and all organization that have a stake on development on female entrepreneurs in Tanzania should design policies and programs that encourage and promote the creation and growth of businesses. Collective efforts from the government, public and private institutions and NGOs are needed to eliminate the challenges, especially gender-related problems. Practical implications By studying female owner-managers’ motivations and constraints, the author suggests that to a greater extent, gender-related problems, social and cultural commitments and access to finance and networks are the constraints faced by female entrepreneurs. Originality/value The research on female entrepreneurs in the context of Tanzania is scarce, this study responds to a need of better understanding women motivations and constraints. By studying these factors, this study shows that startup motives and constraints faced by female entrepreneurs are unique to different contexts.

Performance evaluations and junior auditors’ attitude to audit behavior: a gender and culture comparative study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Khalil ◽  
Rabih Nehme
Keyword(s):  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Internship Programs ◽  
Educational Path ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed light on factors leading to unethical acts committed by auditors from a cultural and gender perspectives. It investigates differences in junior auditors’ attitudes towards audit behavior when a performance evaluation (PE) is anticipated. The objective of this study is to aid academicians and audit executives in developing new models of PE and internship programs that should mitigate dysfunctional behavior. Design/methodology/approach A survey adapted from Big Four companies’ performance appraisal templates was administered to junior accountants who have completed their internship programs and their external audit course at accredited universities in Lebanon and the USA. Several statistical tests were conducted to analyze the relationship between the different variables. Findings This paper shows how PE affects junior auditors’ attitudes to dysfunctional audit behavior (DAB). From a cultural standpoint, American auditors express more negative views towards DAB than their Lebanese counterparts. This paper also demonstrates that female auditors are less inclined towards DAB than male auditors. Originality/value Previous studies on the topic have been mostly conducted in developed countries with a scarcity of studies examining multiple countries. This study focuses on two different cultural contexts, a developed country, the USA and an emerging country, poorly represented in the literature, Lebanon. This paper also observes variances between male and female auditors in DAB when expecting a PE. The originality of this paper stems from its concurrent examination of the impact of gender and culture on DAB by using a sample of less-experienced auditors at the end of their educational path.

Conflicts in adaptation: case studies from Nepal and the Maldives

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phu Doma Lama ◽  
Per Becker
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Adaptation appears to be regarded as a panacea in policy circles to reduce the risk of impending crises resulting from contemporary changes, including but not restricted to climate change. Such conceptions can be problematic, generally assuming adaptation as an entirely positive and non-conflictual process. The purpose of this paper is to challenge such uncritical views, drawing attention to the conflictual nature of adaptation, and propose a theoretical framework facilitating the identification and analysis of conflicts in adaptation. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on case study research using first-hand narratives of adaptation in Nepal and the Maldives collected using qualitative interviews, participant observation and document analysis. Findings The findings identify conflicts between actors in, and around, communities that are adapting to changes. These conflicts can be categorized along three dimensions: qualitative differences in the type of conflict, the relative position of conflicting actors and the degree of manifestation of the conflict. Originality/value The three-dimensional Adaptation Conflict Framework facilitate analysis of conflicts in adaptation, allowing for a critical examination of subjectivities inherent in the adaptation discourses embedded in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation research and policy. Such an inquiry is crucial for interventions supporting community adaptation to reduce disaster risk.

Direct vs indirect e-government adoption: an exploratory study

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajiv Kumar ◽  
Amit Sachan ◽  
Arindam Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Developed Countries ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Needy

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence direct and indirect adoption of e-government services in India. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model has been proposed by integrating the factors influencing adoption of e-government services from extant literature. A quantitative technique is used for the purpose of the study. Findings The study classifies e-government adoption in two types: direct adoption and indirect adoption. The study has found that there is some difference between the factors influencing direct and indirect e-government adoption. Perceived awareness, perceived usefulness, trust in internet, trust in government and social influence are found to be positively correlated to direct and indirect e-government adoption. Availability of resources, computer self-efficacy, perceived ease-of-use, perceived compatibility, multilingual option and voluntariness are positively correlated to direct e-government adoption and negatively correlated to indirect e-government adoption. Perceived image is found to be significant for direct e-government adoption but non-significant for indirect adoption. Trust in intermediary is found to be significant only for indirect e-government adoption. Research limitations/implications The sample size of 382 may not be a proper representation of a country like India, which has huge diversity and is densely populated. The study has been conducted in India, which is a developing country. The result might not be significant for developed countries. Practical implications The findings of this study provide useful insights into the decision-making process of e-government users in India and similar emerging economies. These findings can be important for government officials tasked with providing e-governance services. Originality/value Despite the digital divide, how the government is expecting its citizens to access e-government services and derive benefits and how the needy will be able to cope with the mandatory e-government services is an interesting topic to study. This leads to a new concept of indirect adoption.

An institution-based view of firms’ early internationalization

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 911-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhad Uddin Ahmed ◽  
Louis Brennan
Keyword(s):  
New Ventures ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Bank Loans ◽  
International Expansion ◽  
Least Developed Countries ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Early Internationalization ◽  
Regulatory Policies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the differential effects of national export promotion policies (EPPs) on firms’ early internationalization using the institution-based view (IBV) as our theoretical foundation. Early or speedy internationalization is an important topic for academics, executives and policy makers. However, the effect of the regulatory dimension of institutions incorporating governmental policies on firms’ early internationalization remains unexplored in the literature. Design/methodology/approach The study was survey-based and the authors engaged in quantitative analysis using data drawn from the apparel industry in a least-developed country (LDC), i.e. Bangladesh. The authors employed 174 valid questionnaires in the analysis. To test the proposed hypotheses, an ordered-logistic regression modeling technique was used. Findings The findings reveal a positive effect of those national policies focusing on market development, guarantee-related and technical support schemes. Two individual elements of direct finance-related assistance, namely, bank loans and cash subsidy are also found to be influential. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature and extends the IBV by establishing that the industry-specific regulatory policies designed by home country governments can play a critical role in international expansion of new ventures from an LDC. In particular, the study established the critical role of national EPPs in driving firms’ early internationalization and thereby, contributing to the international marketing and international entrepreneurship (IE) literature. Least-developed countries provide different institutional environments for entrepreneurship. They thus provide an atypical context within the field of IE. By incorporating sample firms from an LDC, the authors address the knowledge gap related to those countries. The implications of the authors’ findings for national and enterprise development policies are also considered.

Paris climate summit aims to avoid Copenhagen mistakes

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The Political ◽  
Shale Oil ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tar Sands ◽  
Economic Climate ◽  
International Attention ◽  
Low Carbon Technologies

Significance Climate policy will be of high international attention in the lead up to the UN's climate change summit in Paris in December (COP 21). The political and economic climate makes it more likely that a multinational deal can be reached than at the 2009 Copenhagen summit. While unseen difficulties could intercede, doubt now revolves around the nature of a deal, rather than whether a deal will be reached. Impacts Even weak national targets will result in more regulation for carbon-intensive businesses and more incentives for low-carbon technologies. A deal could have serious implications for high-cost, energy-intensive extractors in the tar sands and shale oil sectors. Coal-only companies will see little room for growth in developed countries. Shipping and aviation were left out of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol but will be included this time.

Investigating the influence of organizational factors on blockchain adoption

2019 ◽  
Vol 119 (7) ◽  
pp. 1457-1491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor Clohessy ◽  
Thomas Acton
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Innovation Adoption ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Organizational Readiness ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Management Support ◽  
It Innovation

Purpose Blockchain possesses the potential to disrupt and reshape a plethora of industries in the next decade. However, blockchain adoption rates in technology developed countries, such as Ireland, are relatively low. Motivated by blockchain’s potential to transform sociotechnical systems, the lack of systematic inquiry pertaining to blockchain studies from an information system perspective, the authors propose the following research question: “How do organizational factors influence blockchain adoption in organizations based in a developed country?” Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to elucidate the impact of organizational factors on the adoption of blockchain and the adoption of blockchain in companies based in Ireland. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive literature review was conducted, and the methods of qualitative content analysis were used to identify the most important technology–organization–environment (TOE) blockchain adoption factors. Organizational factors are often viewed as the most significant determinants of IT innovation adoption in organizations. Consequently, using a multiple-case study of 20 companies based in Ireland, the authors investigate how the top three organizational factors identified from the blockchain literature affected these companies decision to adopt or not adopt blockchain. Findings The literature review on blockchain adoption identified specific technological, organizational and environmental factors. Furthermore, the case study findings identified three patterns: top management support and organizational readiness are enablers for blockchain adoption, and large companies are more likely to adopt blockchain than small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors explain these patterns by examining the nature of blockchain and the characteristics of Ireland as a developed country. Practical and scientific contributions are also presented. Research limitations/implications This study makes several important scientific contributions. First, the findings revealed that top management support and organizational readiness are significant enablers of blockchain adoption. Ireland is recognized as a technology developed country; however, the findings in relation to top management support contradict existing IT adoption literature pertaining to developed countries. Second, previous IT innovation adoption literature suggests that organizations size has a positive influence on a company’s IT innovation adoption process. This study demonstrates that large organizations are more likely to not only adopt blockchain but are also more likely to conduct increased levels of blockchain research and development activities. Finally, and most significantly, the authors identified several patterns, which relate specifically to Ireland as a developed country that influenced the findings. These findings could hold particular relevance to governments and organizations of other developed countries in terms of accelerating blockchain adoption. Practical implications The findings about the low level of blockchain awareness and the lack of information pertaining to viable business use cases indicate that the Irish government could play a more significant role in promoting the benefits of blockchain technologies. Further, the findings could also encourage IT providers to formulate enhanced strategies aimed at disseminating information pertaining to blockchain technologies. Second, the positive influence of top management support and organizational readiness, particularly about core competencies, on blockchain adoption suggests that equipping managers with the requisite knowledge and skills will be crucial in adopting these IT innovations. Finally, organizations who adopted blockchain used cloud-based blockchain platforms and tools to overcome the constraints of their initial low levels of organizational readiness. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to identify specific TOE blockchain adoption factors. Further, the authors examine how the three most identified organizational adoption factors impact organizations decisions to adopt blockchain. Finally, the authors discuss how the resulting three patterns identified by examining the nature of blockchain and the characteristics of Ireland as a technology developed country.

Delay of gratificationand business performancein least developed countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 492-514
Author(s):  
Dalivone Xayavongsa ◽  
Piriya Pholphirul
Keyword(s):  
Business Performance ◽  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Delay Of Gratification ◽  
The Self ◽  
Least Developed Countries ◽  
Delayed Gratification ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Employment

Purpose Does delay of gratification affect the probability of engaging in self-employment and does it contribute to business performance? This paper aims to quantify impacts of delay of gratification on engaging in self-employment and business performance. Design/methodology/approach Using Lao PDR as a representative of least developed countries, the authors analyze nationally representative survey data from the Lao PDR – STEP Skills Measurement Household Survey and estimate the binary logit/probit model to quantify impacts of delay of gratification on probability of self-employment. And, the impacts of delayed gratification on business performance of the self-employed individuals are also estimated. Findings Those with a lower degree of delayed gratification tend to elect to be self-employed instead of being full-time employees. However, a higher delay of gratification score is found to positively correlate with higher business performance among those who are self-employed. Other control variables such as business characteristics, education level and skills of the self-employed also play an important role in higher business performance. Research limitations/implications Analysis from this paper still shows some weak points and limitations. First, the data set on self-employment has little representation from industry and the service sector and lacks many important variables such as parents’ characteristics and working hours. Second, there is no clear measurement of delay of gratification, as the measurements use only hypothesis money. Finally, there is a lack of studies to back up the result of delay of gratification on business performance, especially in a least developed country such as Lao PDR. The authors suggest that future research be conducted with richer data regarding the self-employed in industries and services. It would be quite interesting to study further the effect of delay of gratification along with grit, another behavioral variable, on business performance. Practical implications Based on the findings, it is therefore crucial that the Lao Government support a policy that helps strengthen both cognitive and noncognitive skills and the delay of gratification along with education to make Lao self-employment more productive. Social implications Providing the self-employed with adequate skills to succeed in their enterprises can lead them and the nation to escape the poverty trap. Family, school and government should promote delay of gratification among young children. Encouraging special activities that foster emotional and behavioral skills learning and practice for children, such as religious learning and meditation, might boost their ability to delay gratification. Moreover, support for skills training, both basic and job-relevant skills, could promote business experience exchange by creating an organization that provides guidelines, information and advice for self-employment. Originality/value Even though there is extensive research indicating that delayed gratification exists in many contexts, there are very few studies investigating the impact of delayed gratification on the business, especially on the decision to be self-employed and the resulting business performance. The delay of gratification could be one factor that influences decisions on job selection or employment status and that influences business performance as well. This paper is also the first one conducted in a least developed country such as Lao PDR.

Greenhouse Development Rights: A Framework for Climate Protection That Is “More Fair” Than Equal Per Capita Emissions Rights

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Kemp-Benedict ◽  
Sivan Kartha
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The United States ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Poor Countries ◽  
Right To Development ◽  
Precautionary Action ◽  
The Rich

There is a fairly broad consensus among both the philosophers who write about climate change and the majority of the climate-policy community that efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions—“mitigation” in the jargon—should not harm the ability of poor countries to grow economically and to reduce as rapidly as possible the widespread poverty their citizens suffer. Indeed, this principle of a “right to development” has been substantially embraced in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) itself. Yet as the evidence of the risks from climate change has continued to mount and calls have grown for more stringent mitigation targets, the need to give substance to this right has come into conflict with the evident unwillingness of already “developed” countries to pay the costs of adequately precautionary mitigation. The long and the short of it is that almost any reasonable ethical principles lead to the conclusion that, as Henry Shue (1999) put it straightforwardly, “the costs [of mitigation] should initially be borne by the wealthy industrialized states.” In the words of the UNFCCC, “the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof,” and this point is embodied in practical terms in the Kyoto Protocol itself, in which only the 40 developed “Annex I” countries have binding emissions limits. Yet particularly because of the rejection of Kyoto by the United States but also because of the weak efforts at mitigation that have taken place so far in Europe, Japan, and other industrialized countries, we find ourselves in a situation in which precaution requires that emissions be reduced extremely soon in poor countries, too, but the rich countries can’t yet be said to have fulfilled their obligations to “take the lead.” The delay in taking action so far, the increasing evidence of current climate-change impacts and greater risks than previously estimated, and the speed with which we must now move all imply substantially greater costs for adequately precautionary action than were previously estimated.

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