Terrorism, competitiveness, and international marketing: an empirical investigation

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 310-329
Author(s):  
Valbona Zeneli ◽  
Michael R. Czinkota ◽  
Gary Knight
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Research ◽  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
International Marketing ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to research the relationship between terrorism and multinational enterprises (MNEs), focusing on operational costs, marketing planning, supply chain management, and distribution activities. Terrorism is a growing threat to internationally active firms, but there has been no empirical research to address the distinctive challenges that terrorism poses for the international marketing activities of firms. Design/methodology/approach The paper opted for an exploratory investigation, following a two-phase research design. In the first phase it was based on qualitative interviews with internationally active firms. In the second phase, an online survey of a large sample of international firms based in the USA was performed. All measures were developed specifically for the study. Findings The paper provides empirical insights about how terrorism affects MNEs, especially those operating in emerging markets. It suggests that terrorism accounts for significant costs in the international marketing budget of MNEs, as well as in planning, and the design of supply chains and distribution channels. Findings also reveal that firms with significant resources and international experience appear to cope better with terrorism’s effects. Research limitations/implications Given the early stage of empirical research on terrorism and international marketing, this study was necessarily exploratory. Practical implications The paper includes implications and suggestions for multinational companies to increase the security of their businesses through the development of corporate preparedness. Social implications Terrorism represents not only an organizational crisis at the level of a firm, but it affects the whole society. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified need to study the relationship between the growing threat of terrorism and international business.

User experience sharing

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 1154-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Chen ◽  
Judy Drennan ◽  
Lynda Andrews ◽  
Linda D. Hollebeek
Keyword(s):  
User Experience ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Level Of Effort

PurposeThis paper aims to propose user experience sharing (UES) as a customer-based initiation of value co-creation pertaining to service provision, which represents customers’ level of effort made for the direct benefit of others in their service network. The authors propose and empirically examine a user experience sharing model (UESM) that explicates customer-to-customer (C2C) UES and its impacts on firm-desired customer-based outcomes in online communities.Design/methodology/ApproachBased on an extensive review, the authors conceptualize UES and UESM. By using online survey data collected from mobile app users in organic online communities, the authors performed structural equation modeling analyses by using AMOS 24.FindingsThe results support the proposed UESM, showing that C2C UES acts as a key driver of both firm-desired customer efforts and customer insights. The results also confirmed that service-dominant (S-D) logic-informed motivational drivers exert a significant impact on C2C UES. Importantly, C2C UES mediates the relationship between S-D logic-informed motivational drivers and firm-desired customer-based outcomes.Originality/valueThis study offers a pioneering attempt to develop an overarching concept, UES, which reflects customers’ initiation of value co-creation, and to empirically examine C2C UES. The empirical evidence supports the key contention that firms should proactively facilitate C2C UES.

scholarly journals Understanding the relationship between the 32-item motor function measure and daily activities from an individual with spinal muscular atrophy and their caregivers’ perspective: a two-part study

BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Duong ◽  
Jessica Braid ◽  
Hannah Staunton ◽  
Aurelie Barriere ◽  
Fani Petridis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Muscular Atrophy ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Muscular Atrophy ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Functional Abilities ◽  
Type 3 ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Function Measure

Abstract Background The 32-item Motor Function Measure (MFM32) is a clinician-reported outcome measure used to assess the functional abilities of individuals with neuromuscular diseases, including those with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). This two-part study explored the relationship between the functional abilities assessed in the MFM32 and activities of daily living (ADLs) from the perspective of individuals with Type 2 and Type 3 (non-ambulant and ambulant) SMA and their caregivers through qualitative interviews and a quantitative online survey. Methods In-depth, semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with individuals with SMA and caregivers from the US. Subsequently, a quantitative online survey was completed by individuals with SMA or their caregivers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Canada, the United States (US) and the UK. In both parts of the study, participants were asked to describe the ADLs considered to be related to the functional abilities assessed in the MFM32. Results from the qualitative interviews informed the content of the quantitative online survey. Results Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 adult participants, and 217 participants completed the quantitative online survey. From the qualitative interviews, all of the functional abilities assessed in the patient-friendly MFM32 were deemed as related to one or more ADL. The specific ADLs that participants considered related to the patient-friendly MFM32 items could be grouped into 10 key ADL domains: dressing, mobility/transferring, self-care, self-feeding, reaching, picking up and holding objects, physical activity, writing and technology use, social contact/engagement, toileting and performing work/school activities. These results were confirmed by the quantitative online survey whereby the ADLs reported to be related to each patient-friendly MFM32 item were consistent and could be grouped into the same 10 ADL domains. Conclusion This study provides in-depth evidence from the patient/caregiver perspective supporting the relevance of the patient-friendly MFM32 items to the ADLs of individuals with Type 2 and Type 3 SMA.

scholarly journals Paradox and legitimacy in construction: how CSR reports restrict CSR practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Watts ◽  
Scott Fernie ◽  
Andy Dainty
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rhetorical Device ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Public Body ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Communication Methods

PurposeCorporate social responsibility (CSR) is a prominent topic of debate, and yet remains subject to multiple interpretations. Despite this ambiguity, organisations need to communicate their CSR activity effectively in order to meet varied stakeholder demands, increase financial performance and in order to achieve legitimacy in the eyes of clients and various stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to explore how CSR is communicated, and the impact such communication methods have on CSR practice. More specifically, it examines the disconnect between the rhetoric espoused in CSR reports and the actualities of the ways in which CSR is practiced.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative content analysis of 100 CSR reports published by nine construction contractors informed the design of qualitative interviews. In total, 17 interviews were then conducted with contractors and public body clients.FindingsStrategic ambiguity explains how contractors circumvent the problem of attending to conflicting stakeholder CSR needs. However, this results in a paradox where CSR is simultaneously sustained as a corporate metric and driver, whilst being simultaneously undermined in being seen as a rhetorical device. By examining this phenomenon through the lens of legitimacy, the study reveals how both the paradox and subsequent actions of clients that this provokes, act to restrict the development of CSR practice.Originality/valueThis is the first study to use the lens of legitimacy theory to analyse the relationship between CSR reporting and CSR practice in the construction industry. In revealing the CSR paradox and its ramifications the research provides a novel explanation of the lack of common understandings and manifestations of CSR within the construction sector.

Understanding managerial response to employee voice: a social persuasion perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-288
Author(s):  
Zhenzhen Zhang ◽  
Qiaozhuan Liang ◽  
Jie Li
Keyword(s):  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Employee Voice ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Source Characteristics ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Social Persuasion ◽  
Promotive Voice ◽  
Prohibitive Voice ◽  
Managerial Response

Purpose Research about the benefit of voice to organizations generally assumes that leaders acknowledge or act upon employees’ ideas when they are voiced, but is it always the case? Drawing on social persuasion theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore what factors shape the effectiveness of employee voice by integrating message, receiver and source characteristics of employee voice into one theoretical model. Specifically, this paper investigates the influence of different types of voice on leader receptivity, and further examines whether the effectiveness of employee voice might be contingent on authentic leadership and employee expertise. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 353 matched employee–supervisor pairs in a two-phase field study. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships among the study variables. Findings Results indicate that leaders respond more receptively to promotive voice than prohibitive voice. Furthermore, leader receptivity is contingent on authentic leadership and employee expertise. The relationship between promotive voice and leader receptivity is more pronounced when employee expertise or authentic leadership is high rather than low; the relationship between prohibitive voice and leader receptivity is significant only when authentic leadership or employee expertise is high. Originality/value This research offers a more holistic explanation for understanding the effectiveness of voice behavior. Specifically, these findings emphasize the important role of voice content in determining managerial response, and underscore the value of receiver and source characteristics in shaping the relationship between voice and leader receptivity.

The effect of small business leaders' organisational mindfulness and social learning on opportunistic behaviour to survive the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luluk Lusiantoro ◽  
Bernardinus Maria Purwanto ◽  
Rokhima Rostiani
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Opportunistic Behaviour ◽  
Small Business Leaders ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis research aims to test the relationships between organisational mindfulness, social learning and opportunistic behaviour of small business leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with six small business leaders from various sectors to explore and better grasp the unprecedented phenomenon. An online survey on small business owners and managers in Indonesia was then employed as the main study, resulting in 291 valid responses for further analysis. The data were analysed using regression on SmartPLS 3.0 software.FindingsThis research finds that organisational mindfulness and social learning have positive and significant associations with the ability of small business leaders to discover and exploit opportunities. The path analysis suggests that organisational mindfulness plays a pivotal role as it also partially mediates the relationship between social learning and opportunistic behaviour.Originality/valueThis is the first paper to test the relationships between organisational mindfulness, social learning and opportunistic behaviour, particularly in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. This work also contributes by emphasising the critical linkages between internal and external capabilities triggered by small business leaders to survive the pandemic.

Celebrity transgression and consumers’ forgiveness: does religiosity matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anwar Sadat Shimul ◽  
Matthew Barber ◽  
Mohammad Ishmam Abedin
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Intrinsic Religiosity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of religiosity on consumers’ forgiveness when celebrities get involved in transgression. The celebrity’s reaction and its impact on consumers’ forgiveness is tested as well. In addition, consumers’ attitudes towards the brand and celebrity as well as purchase intention for the endorsed brand are examined both before and after the transgression. Design/methodology/approach Data (n = 356) were collected through a self-administered online survey and analysed though structural equation modelling in AMOS 26. Findings The results show that consumers’ attitude towards celebrity, brand and purchase intention gets weaker once the celebrity gets into transgression. Consumers tend to forgive more if the celebrity apologises (vs denies) for the wrongdoing. The hypothesised relationship between attitude towards celebrity and purchase intention did not sustain after the transgression. In addition, consumers’ intrinsic religiosity strengthens the relationship between attitude towards the celebrity and purchase intention. Practical implications The findings of this research present valuable implications for brands practitioners. Brands should formulate actionable contingency plans to mitigate the negative ramifications of celebrity transgressions. Specifically, intrinsic religiosity and celebrity apologies should assist consumers in forgiving the transgression and negate the implications that could have arisen if the celebrity instead denied the transgressions. Originality/value This research extends the previous research by examining religiosity and forgiveness within the context of celebrity transgressions. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first few research studies to consider the role religiosity plays in consumers’ intention to forgive celebrity transgressions.

Exploring an adaptability approach: how creative return processors impact firm performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Espinosa ◽  
James Stock ◽  
David J. Ortinau ◽  
Lisa Monahan
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Product Returns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Returns Management ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe authors explore complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory as an updated theoretical perspective for managing product returns that better matches the chaotic nature of recent consumer behaviors. CAS theory highlights the importance of agents who create and self-organize to help systems adapt in unpredictable environments.Design/methodology/approachThis research utilizes data collected from return managers in an online survey and applies regression analyses to estimate the influence of the focal variables.FindingsEmpirical evidence of the firm flexibility–firm adaptability link is established, and return processor creativity positively relates to this link. The firm flexibility–firm adaptability link fully mediates the relationship between return processor creativity and returns management performance and partially mediates the relationship between return processor creativity and relationship quality. Nonmediated effects were observed for turnover and revenue size.Practical implicationsManagers of returns who embrace an adaptability approach become facilitators of returns by supporting processor creativity. Enhancing the autonomy of processors in their day-to-day work increases the knowledge-creation capabilities of the firm, which helps the firm move forward and adapt in an uncertain environment.Originality/valueThis research presents empirical evidence of the underlying mechanisms of CAS theory in the product returns context by studying processor agents and argues that CAS theory better fits the current dynamics of the product returns environment. Further, this paper extends work by Espinosa et al. (2019) and Nilsson (2019) by studying how a specific human characteristic – creativity – impacts product returns management.

Performance of Ghanaian women businesses community: the moderating role of social competence

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Ayorkor Sallah ◽  
Livingstone Divine Caesar
Keyword(s):  
Social Competence ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Business Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intangible Resources ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the moderating dynamics of social competence in the relationship between intangible resources and the performance of women businesses from an emerging market context. Developed economy literature provides ample evidence of a positive relationship between intangible resources and the performance of women business ventures. Little is known of the complexity of this orthodoxy in developing markets such as Ghana. In particular, this paper investigates the moderating role of social competence in the relationship between intangible resources available to women entrepreneurs and performance. Design methodology approach An exploratory sequential mixed method research design was used. First phase involved qualitative data collected through interviews, and the second phase was quantitative data collected from 264 participants. Content analysis and multiple regression analysis were used. Findings Social competence is important to the success of women businesses as it influences the outcome of entrepreneurial interactions and communications. Also, it positively moderated the relationship between organisational reputational capital (RC) and women business growth. On the flip side, it negatively moderated the relationship between human capital, social capital, individual RC and women business growth. Practical implications To sustainably grow their businesses, women entrepreneurs must ascertain the right level of social competence needed. The utilization of social competence at higher rather than lower levels could mean more costs and more training for which the business may not have immediate use. Originality value This paper advocates the need to improve the content of entrepreneurial training packages to include the reinforcement of social competency skills in terms of relationship management as this may be the key to the facilitation of access to resources for innovation and growth.

Assessing vulnerability of informal floating workers in Bangladesh before and during COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-method analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shafiqul Alam ◽  
Ziaul Haq Adnan ◽  
Mohammed Abdul Baten ◽  
Surajit Bag
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Decent Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Informal Workers ◽  
Work Concept ◽  
The Government

PurposeGlobally, a myriad of floating workers is in grave jeopardy due to the ceasing of employment opportunities that resulted from the mobility restriction during the Covid-19. Despite the global concern, developing countries have been suffering disproportionately due to the dominance of informal workers in their labour market, posing the necessity to campaign for the immediate protection of this vulnerable population. This paper analyses various dimensions of the vulnerability of urban floating workers in the context of Covid-19 in Bangladesh. In reference to International Labour Organization's (ILO) “Decent Work” concept, this paper endeavours to examine floating workers' vulnerability using the insider-outsider framework in context to Covid-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, data were collected before the pandemic to assess the vulnerability of the informal floating workers. Later, we extended the study to the second phase during the Covid-19 pandemic to understand how pandemic affects the lives and livelihood of floating workers. In phase one, data were collected from a sample of 342 floating workers and analysed based on job security, wages, working environment, psychological wellbeing and education to understand the vulnerability of floating workers. In phase two, 20 in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted, followed by thematic analysis to explore how the pandemic affects the existing vulnerability of floating workers.FindingsVarious social protection schemes were analysed to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing the vulnerability of floating workers facing socio-economic crises. The study has found that the pandemic has multiplied the existing vulnerability of the floating workers on many fronts that include job losses, food crisis, shelter insecurity, education, social, physical and mental wellbeing. In response to the pandemic, the Government stimulus packages and Non-government Covid-19 initiatives lack the appropriate system, magnitude, and focus on protecting the floating workers in Bangladesh.Practical implicationsThis paper outlines various short-term interventions and long-term policy prescriptions to safeguard floating workers' lives and livelihood from the ongoing Corona pandemic and unforeseen uncertainties.Originality/valueThis paper is the first of its kind that aims at understanding the vulnerability of this significant workforce in Bangladesh, taking the whole picture of Government and Non-government initiatives during Covid-19.

The relationship between higher education students' perceived employability, academic engagement and stress among students in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 744-762
Author(s):  
Yin Ma ◽  
Dawn Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Academic Engagement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Chinese Higher Education ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Employability ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeWith a focus on Chinese higher education students, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between students' perceived employability and their levels of academic engagement and stress.Design/methodology/approachThe study engaged 1,155 students from three universities in China. Students responded to an online survey, reporting their confidence in relation to their perceived employability, academic engagement and stress in life. The authors employed structural equation modelling to explore students' confidence in each employability attribute and to assess perceived employability relation to academic engagement and perceived stress.FindingsThe results suggest that self-perceptions of employability are positively associated with students' academic engagement and negatively associated with perceived stress. Perceived employability mediated the majority paths.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies to examine perceived employability in line with academic engagement or stress and the first study to do so in China.

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