The role of reputation in the business cooperation process: multiple case studies in small and medium-sized enterprises

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário Franco ◽  
Heiko Haase
Keyword(s):  
Selection Process ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Treatment Technique ◽  
Cooperation Agreement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Market Expansion ◽  
Major Market ◽  
Documentary Analysis

PurposeThis study aims to identify the main reasons for forming a cooperation agreement in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and understand the role of reputation in this business process.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve these objectives, a qualitative research approach was adopted, specifically the case study method. The context of analysis studied here was formed of five SMEs (cases) located in an inland region of Portugal. Data-collecting instruments were individual interviews and documentary analysis, and the data treatment technique was content analysis.FindingsFrom the results obtained, it is concluded that SMEs have different reasons for entering a cooperation agreement and that the criterion of reputation, in the partner selection process, was quite frequently mentioned. In addition, the study found trust to be another important criterion when choosing a partner. This means that besides the resources a partner may possess, the most important aspect is that there should be mutual trust.Practical implicationsThis study seeks to help SME managers to characterise and understand the phenomenon of cooperation and show the main criteria to consider when choosing their partner(s).Originality/valueThis study is innovative because it will help to characterise and understand business cooperation in SMEs and contribute to choosing a suitable partner, so that SMEs can achieve good performance, major market expansion and improve relations with their partners, in an increasingly competitive environment.

An exploratory study of entrepreneurial marketing in SMEs

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário Franco ◽  
Maria de Fátima Santos ◽  
Isabel Ramalho ◽  
Cristina Nunes
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Technique ◽  
Management Competencies ◽  
Holistic Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Entrepreneurial Marketing ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Market Opportunities ◽  
Marketing Activities

Purpose – Marketing has been seen as one of the greatest problems faced by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but simultaneously one of the most important activities for their growth and survival. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to determine the importance and role of entrepreneurial marketing in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach – To reach this goal, a qualitative approach was adopted, with two case studies (SMEs) selected. As data-collecting instruments, interviews and documentary analysis were used, and the data-treatment technique was content analysis. Findings – The empirical evidence obtained shows that the importance of entrepreneurial marketing is recognized, but that it differs considerably according to firm size. In the SMEs studied, marketing is informal and reactive to market opportunities and the founder-entrepreneur has an influence on the decision-making process. Practical implications – The study contributes to the existing research about the role the founder-entrepreneur can have in the firm's ability to develop entrepreneurial marketing activities. From a practical viewpoint, the study has found that entrepreneurial marketing is based on networking to build and support marketing activity and it is associated with the use and development of the marketing management competencies of their entrepreneurs. Originality/value – The study is innovative because the authors are able to outline empirically new issues for future investigation in this area of scarce research. Second, an integrative and holistic model is proposed for entrepreneurial marketing in SMEs and this represents the primary contribution of the study.

Perceived value of internship experience: a try before you leap

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 376-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonali Bhattacharya ◽  
Netra Neelam
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Performance Feedback ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Learning Orientation ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internship Experience ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Task Variety

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how internship value is manifested in the context of a business school. The authors have examined the internship experience in terms of experiential learning and employability. Specifically, the authors investigate the factors that determine internship at four phases: design, conduct, evaluation and feedback. Design/methodology/approach The authors have applied a mixed method approach. In all, 110 students of a busines school were first surveyed on their expectation, motivation and level of preparation through a self-administered questionnaire before internship. Based on the survey result, eight of these students were interviewed in details about internship expectations from industry, the selection process for internship, communications or exchanges between intern and companies prior to internship and perceived industry expectation from interns. At the next phase, authors used a qualitative research approach by conducting semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 14 interns and their mentors after internship period. They were interviewed on design, conduct, evaluation and feedback process of the internship. Interviews tried capture what kind of leader-member exchange led to satisfactory internship experience and outcome from view of both inter and mentor. Findings The authors find that at various stages of internship program quality of mentor – intern exchanges (as defined by leadership exchange theory), and task characteristics as indicated by autonomy, task variety, task significance and performance feedback determine intern’s performance. An intern’s performance is antecedent to an intern’s and a mentor’s satisfaction and overall internship value. The authors also found that intrinsic capability of intern such as critical thinking ability and learning orientation result in enhanced value of internship experience. The proposed models, postulate that at designing stage, lower the level of communication from employers, higher the feeling of ambiguity and lower the perceived internship value in terms of experiential learning and perceived employability. Feeling of ambiguity is moderated by existence of prior work experience of interns. At conduction stage, mentor-intern exchange is directly related to flexibility in structure of the program and inversely related to dependency on peer learning. Mentor-intern exchange also related to mentor and intern’s learning value. However, the learning value is moderated by learning orientation of the intern. Originality/value The authors have tried the summer internship experience from the perspective of interns and mentors. This is the uniqueness of the research.

Employee's lying behavior and the role of self-awareness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk Chang ◽  
Sylvain Max ◽  
Jérémy Celse
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Deductive Reasoning ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Laboratory Setting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Employee’s lying behavior has become ubiquitous at work, and managers are keen to know what can be done to curb such behavior. Managers often apply anti-lying strategies in their management and, in particular, the role of self-awareness on lying intervention has drawn academic attention recently. Drawing on multi-disciplinary literature, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of self-awareness in reducing lying behavior. Design/methodology/approach Following the perspectives of positivism and deductive reasoning, a quasi-experimental research approach was adopted. Employees from Dijon, France were recruited as research participants. Based on the literature, different conditions (scenario manipulation) were designed and implemented in the laboratory, in which participants were exposed to pre-set lying opportunities and their responses were analyzed accordingly. Findings Unlike prior studies which praised the merits of self-awareness, the authors found that self-awareness did not decrease lying behavior, not encouraging the confession of lying either. Employees actually lied more when they believed other employees were lying. Practical implications This study suggests managers not to rely on employee’s self-awareness; rather, the concept of self-awareness should be incorporated into the work ethics, and managers should schedule regular workshops to keep employees informed of the importance of ethics. When employees are regularly reminded of the ethics and appreciate its importance, their intention of lying is more likely to decrease. Originality/value To the best of the atuhors’ knowledge, the current research is the first in its kind to investigate lying intervention of employees in the laboratory setting. Research findings have brought new insights into the lying intervention literature, which has important implication on the implementation of anti-lying strategies.

The role of team leadership in achieving LEED certification in a green building project

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepani Senaratne ◽  
Prasanna Rajitha Hewamanage
Keyword(s):  
Green Building ◽  
Team Leadership ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leed Certification ◽  
Certification Procedure ◽  
Building Project

Purpose – Leadership of the project team is vital for green building projects in achieving LEED certification. Literature findings confirm the need for managing green building projects differently from ordinary projects. The team leader should be able to work with the project team to manage the general project activities while following the LEED certification procedure to finally achieve LEED certification. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a research project which was aimed to explore the role of team leadership in achieving LEED certification in a green building project through a case study research approach. Findings – The research findings revealed the importance of utilizing the appropriate leadership roles of project team members in addition to the project leader’s role to achieve LEED certification for green building projects successfully. The research proposed four team leadership processes required to meet the LEED challenges; namely, proactive planning and visualization; collective implementation; teamwork for win-win; and, continuous learning and knowledge sharing. Originality/value – Based on these findings, the research suggests a new project team environment enabled by effective team leadership to meet the LEED challenges. It is argued that the team leadership role of every team member is unique and best suited when used synergistically to achieve LEED certification for the project. The research is original in applying team leadership concepts to green building projects in a real-life setting.

The effectiveness of e-corporate governance: an exploratory study of internet voting at shareholders’ annual meetings in France

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 673-702
Author(s):  
Sonia Abdennadher ◽  
Walid Cheffi
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Business Law ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internet Voting ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Governance Effectiveness ◽  
Voting System ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose E-corporate governance or the use of technologies and information systems (ISs) in corporate governance, is still a subject that is too seldom addressed in business research. This paper is at the intersection between two fields of research (corporate governance and the management of ISs), which are interdependent in ways that are still unexplored. The paper analyzes the implications of internet voting (IV) at shareholders’ annual meetings (SAM) for the corporate governance of listed companies in France, in particular for the relationship between executives and shareholders. Most of the studies that have dealt with IV at SAM have focused on techno-legal issues and were often conducted by business law researchers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implications of the new voting system through the prism of corporate governance. Design/methodology/approach The authors proceeded by triangulation of methods. This qualitative study is based on observations, interviews and documentary analysis. It assessed the IV implications for both the issuing companies and the shareholders. Findings The new voting system brings undeniable competitive advantage to the issuing company and facilitates shareholders’ activism, yet it has serious risks both for the corporations and for certain categories of the shareholder. Interestingly, the authors propose an original and field-grounded typology that distinguishes the risks and benefits associated with IV in relation to executives’ attitudes. Social implications The paper shows that the resolving of identified deficiencies with IV development could contribute to the alignment of companies’ interests with those of shareholders. Moreover, the study calls for policymakers to appoint an official body to regulate the practical implementation of the new system and to prevent its dissemination being held hostage to the executives’ willingness. Originality/value An original aspect of this research lies in the effective operationalization of the constructs of corporate governance effectiveness with a view to examining corporate governance as a set of technologically mediated practices. Moreover, this study emphasizes the key role of the construct of “executives’ willingness” in facilitating/impeding IV diffusion. This underlies their attempts to reverse the corporate governance relationship.

Does deal size moderate the effects of board faultlines? Evidence from acquisitions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Tidbury ◽  
Steven F. Cahan ◽  
Li Chen
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Instrumental Variable Analysis

Purpose Board faultlines, which reflect intrinsic divisions of board members into relatively homogeneous subgroups, are associated with poor firm performance. This paper aims to extend the existing board faultline research by examining how acquisition deal size moderates the negative implications of board faultlines. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a sample of acquisitions and a quantitative research approach to conduct statistical analysis. Findings Using a sample of acquisitions announced between 2007 and 2016, this paper finds evidence suggesting that strong faultlines are associated with poorer acquisition outcomes in the long-term, but not in the short term. Further, this paper finds that the effect of faultline strength on long-term acquisition outcomes is weaker for larger acquisition deals than smaller acquisition deals. The findings are consistent with deal size moderating the relation between faultlines and acquisition outcomes. Research limitations/implications This paper addresses possible endogeneity through firm fixed effects and instrumental variable analysis. Although this paper provides evidence on the moderating role of deal size in the context of faultlines, future research could examine the role of additional moderators, such as pro-diversity, trust, board leadership and board and task characteristics. Practical implications The findings suggest that boards need to be aware of situations where the negative effects of faultlines are more likely to come to the fore. For example, faultlines are more likely to play a role in more routine, obscure monitoring than for high-profile strategic decisions. Originality/value The study is multidisciplinary as it draws on the management, organizational behaviour and psychology and finance literature. It contributes to the developing literature on faultlines in several important ways. First, this paper supports their view that faultlines have adverse effects on board performance by showing that faultlines negatively impact discrete strategic investment decisions. Second, this paper provides evidence that deals size moderates the faultline-acquisition performance relation, indicating that the role of faultlines is contextual. Third, this paper finds evidence that suggests investors do not factor in board faultlines when responding to acquisition announcements.

Adoption of students' loan schemes: the contingent role of financial knowledge

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Ocran ◽  
Livingstone Divine Caesar
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Financial Education ◽  
The Body ◽  
Financial Knowledge ◽  
Relative Advantage ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Behavioural Factors

PurposeDespite the introduction of structural reforms to the students' loan scheme (SLS) in Ghana's higher education sector, patronage is still low. This paper aims to examine the complexity of technological and behavioural factors underpinning the low rate of students' loan adoption in Ghana. It further contributes to the body of knowledge by exploring the moderating role of financial knowledge in the hypothesized relationships.Design/methodology/approachUsing a positivistic research approach, a sample of 700 tertiary students with experience in accessing SLSs were surveyed. An 88% response rate was realized and the data analysed using descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.FindingsFour dimensions of technological factors (relative advantage, trialability, observability and compatibility) and two of behavioural factors (attitude and control behaviour) were positively related to adoption of the SLS. Financial knowledge only moderated the relationship between compatibility, attitude, behavioural control and students' loan adoption.Practical implicationsFinancial knowledge plays a critical role in influencing the investment decisions of people. Management of SLSs needs to offer financial education to targeted parents/students to clear misconceptions. It is also imperative that all other technical challenges are addressed to enhance adoption rates for the SLS. Review of guarantor requirements is needed also.Originality/valueThis paper introduces financial knowledge as a moderating variable to investigate the hypothesized relationships. It offers a developing country insight into how technological/behavioural factors and financial knowledge might be impacting adoption of SLSs.

Lean Six Sigma in higher education institutes: an Irish case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 948-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seamus J. O’Reilly ◽  
Joe Healy ◽  
Tom Murphy ◽  
Rónán Ó’Dubhghaill
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to contribute to a developing literature on continuous improvement (CI), enabled by Lean Six Sigma (LSS), in higher education institutions (HEIs). It reports on the key learning points arising from the initial steps taken by an Irish university on its CI journey. Design/methodology/approach A case study strategy was adopted following a participatory research approach. This approach supports reflexivity and also provides access to all relevant documentation and staff within the case university. Thematic analysis was supported by data reduction and display techniques. Findings The introduction of a LSS approach rather than a reliance on lean alone introduced a structured methodology (DMAIC) that supported simplification of a number of administrative processes. A number of specific improvements were achieved including: Cycle time and cost reduction; customer or employee satisfaction; and rework and error reduction. The findings support the importance of the Readiness Factors as identified by Antony (2014), with particular insight into the role of senior and middle management, the impact of training and deployment of expertise. Research limitations/implications This paper is based on an ongoing, longitudinal, empirical study of a single case study in Ireland. Originality/value This paper tracks the development of CI in a HEI in a longitudinal manner and adds to the emerging the literature in this area. The paper evaluates the role of management at various levels, analyses the use of LSS tools and techniques and evaluated the role of training and capacity building. Implications for Management are shared including: design and role of training programmes, role of champions at various organisational levels, including key functional areas and sustaining momentum.

Between continuity and change: CSR managers’ occupational rhetorics

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 632-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Carollo ◽  
Marco Guerci
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Events ◽  
Continuity And Change ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Current Business

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is often depicted as a major challenge to current business practices, and CSR managers have recently been indicated as prime examples of change agents. The purpose of this paper is to take an occupational perspective to consider these managers. It focuses in particular on their occupational rhetorics, which correspond to idealized images that CSR managers use to represent their work. These rhetorics are analyzed in order to shed light on CSR managers’ change potential in organizations. Design/methodology/approach The study, which benefits from collaboration with the Italian CSR Manager Network, draws on a multi-method research approach which included interviews, observations at public events and meetings, as well as focus groups with CSR managers. Findings Five broad rhetorical repertoires were identified: “the motor of change,” “the business-oriented,” “the fatalist,” “the idealist” and “the CSR bookkeeper” rhetorics. The primacy of the first two repertoires lead to the conclusion that CSR managers are more likely to foster continuity instead of change in current business practices. Research limitations/implications The study is mainly based on interview data and could therefore be extended by ethnographic investigations of CSR managers’ work or by observations of CSR managers’ language use in their everyday work. Originality/value The study is part of a growing empirical literature that investigates the role of individual actors in developing and implementing CSR in organizations and, in particular, the role of CSR practitioners. It contributes to the development of the literature on CSR-driven change within business organizations.

On theoretical engorgement and the myth of fair value accounting in China: a reply

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Bewley ◽  
Cameron Graham ◽  
Songlan Peng
Keyword(s):  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Fair Value ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Fair Value Accounting ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research

PurposeThis article is a reply to “On theoretical engorgement and the myth of fair value accounting in China” Nobes (2019) from the authors of “Adaptability to fair value accounting in an emerging economy: A case study of China's IRFS convergence” (Peng and Bewley, 2010) and “The Winding Road to Fair Value Accounting in China: A Social Movement Analysis” (Bewley et al., 2018).Design/methodology/approachThis article engages directly with the arguments of the criticism.FindingsThis article argues that the author of the commentary misunderstands the purpose, content and findings of both papers. By providing only a narrowly focused technical analysis of the new Chinese accounting standards, the author fails to see that their qualitative research approach reveals important, complex social and political factors at play in China's attempts to adopt modern international accounting principles. The commentary expresses a view that accounting is a neutral technology that needs only to be clearly defined and enumerated to be correctly implemented, whereas this research takes a much broader and deeper perspective. The authors seek to understand how China was able to successfully adopt fair value accounting standards in 2006, whereas an earlier attempt to introduce fair value in 1998 had led to abuse of fair value measurements and the eventual repeal of fair value regulations in 2001.Practical implicationsThis article helps clarify the purpose of qualitative accounting research, the role of theory in such research and the usefulness of theory in describing and explaining empirical case facts related to changes in accounting standards, particularly in an international context.Originality/valueThis article contributes to a better appreciation of qualitative accounting research.

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