Environmental proactivity and firm performance: a fuzzy-set analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 648-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaja Primc ◽  
Tomaž Čater
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore causal complexity in the relationship between environmental proactivity and firm performance. Using data collected from 27 Australian firms and controlling for the organizational life cycle, type of industry and external contingencies, the study empirically examines environmental proactivity in high-performing firms from polluting industries. Design/methodology/approach – The data were analyzed using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. Findings – In general, the results of the analysis imply that environmental proactivity is not always associated with high firm performance, and that environmental proactivity is not as important as the other causal conditions for high-performing firms in highly polluting industries. Research limitations/implications – The study addresses the relationship between environmental and firm performance more holistically by including a number of the firm’s external and internal factors identified as important in past research. Second, it offers a new perspective on the relationship with its systematic comparative analysis of complex cases. Next, it identifies different combinations of conditions (paths) leading to a high firm performance and, finally, the core complementary model allows an exploration of which factors are essential and which are less important or even irrelevant to high-performing firms. Practical implications – Based on the findings, firms from highly polluting industries can determine in which circumstances, if any, the adoption of environmental proactivity will result in a positive firm performance. Originality/value – The study is valuable because it contains a rich set of measures of the firm’s external and internal environment, thus allowing a more holistic examination of the relationship between environmental proactivity and firm performance.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Environmental Uncertainty and Enterprise Performance. A Fuzzy-Set Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 809-816
Author(s):  
Anna Kwiotkowska ◽  
Magdalena Gębczyńska
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Environmental Uncertainty ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
General Business ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explore causal complexity in the relationship between environmental uncertainty and firm’s performance. Due to complexity in the external and internal environment, the relationship between environment and firm performance rests not only on a single attribute but on the interrelation and complementarities between multiple characteristics such as firm features and external factors. This study examines the influence of a firm’s specific characteristics and the dimensions of environmental uncertainty on the company’s performance. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis is used to analyze data collected via questionnaires from 58 Polish small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The results suggest that characteristics of the general business environment, as well as the firm-specific characteristics all matter to firm performance. In addition, our findings clearly demonstrate that the determination of high firm performance is underpinned by substantial interdependence among the selected conditions and complexity. Therefore, any particular condition may have a different or even opposite effect on the outcome depending on the presence or absence of other conditions. Based on this, we conclude that external environmental uncertainty characteristics, with the dimensions of competitive intensity, technological turbulence and market/demand turbulence, are not as important as the other conditions for high-performing firms. The study offers a new perspective on the relationship between environmental uncertainty and firm performance with its systematic comparative analysis of complex cases. It identifies different combinations of conditions (paths) leading to a high firm performance.

scholarly journals Effective contracting for high operational performance in projects

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Kapsali ◽  
Jens K. Roehrich ◽  
Pervaiz Akhtar
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Contractual Incompleteness ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine combinations of contract clauses in order to ascertain which combinations correlate to high operational performance (OP). Design/methodology/approach Two hypotheses were formulated from contracting theory and tested on data collected from 45 projects. Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis was used and validated with multiple regression and simulation. Findings The hypotheses were tested to determine whether combinations of classical, relational, and/or associational contract clauses correlate to high OP. The results show that whereas high OP correlates to combinations of relational and associational contract clauses, classical and relational clauses should not be combined. Research limitations/implications Directions are proposed to guide future research in order to produce a more nuanced testing of contractual complementarity. Practical implications The managerial implications of the findings include a more thorough understanding of the use of contract clauses and of which clauses managers should combine to achieve high OP. Originality/value This study contributes to the theory of contractual incompleteness and complementarity, specifically in the context of project contracting. The analysis produced two theoretical implications: first, that better performing contracts are created when combining relational and associational contract clauses; and second, that in projects, relational and classical contract clauses are not complementary with regards to realizing high OP.

scholarly journals E-waste-word of mouth (EW-WOM) generation: a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA)

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajad Rezaei ◽  
Ree Chan Ho
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Electrical Devices ◽  
Market Maven ◽  
Asymmetrical Relationships

PurposeThis study aims to examine the asymmetrical relationships among information-sharing desire, moral attitudes, lack of concern, relative advantage, market maven tendency and complexity as the antecedents of E-waste-word of mouth (EW-WOM) generation.Design/methodology/approachTo obtain a holistic view and the interrelationships between conditions, the configural analysis was conducted to assess the asymmetrical relationships using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA). In addition, construct validity, reliability and symmetrical relationships between antecedent conditions (i.e. exogenous constructs) and outcome conditions (i.e. endogenous constructs) are examined using variance-based structural equation modeling (VB-SEM) technique.FindingsResults imply that market maven tendency accounts for 86.8% of the sum of the memberships in EW-WOM generation. In total, 11 configurations show sufficiency in constructing EW-WOM generation. The configuration of relativeadvanta*moralattitudes*marketmaventend shows the highest consistency value (0.939684) in producing EW-WOM generation (outcome condition). The ∼relativeadvanta *moralattitudes*complexity*∼lackfconcern with raw coverage of 0.626757 and consistency value of 0.864088 show the most sufficient configuration path in producing the outcome.Originality/valueProduct review and recommendation are easily shared in various communication formats and consumers are prone to disseminate information and their experiences with other market segments. However, the role and phenomena of such viral communication in preventing environmental issues caused by electronic and electrical devices (i.e. E-waste) are not well understood. This study is among a few attempts at understanding consumer's decision-making process to engage in E-waste activities such as the reduction of garbage, recycling, compositing and the reuse of electronic or electrical devices.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-11-2019-0343

Virtual vs physical platform: organizational capacity and slack, strategic decision and firm performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 1983-1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hang Lee ◽  
Yung-Chang Hsiao ◽  
Chung-Jen Chen ◽  
Ruey-Shan Guo
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Organizational Capacity ◽  
Strategic Choice ◽  
Retail Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Virtual Platform ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Better Than

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between organizational capacity, slack resource, platform strategic choice and firm performance. It also tackles the endogenous issues regarding the strategic choice of platform types. Design/methodology/approach This study uses Heckman’s two-stage procedures to examine the relationship between the variables. The sample in this study comes from Compustat annual company and segment files. The sample used in the main analysis consists of 252 individual corporations globally and 3,528 firm-year observations from 2004–2017. Findings The empirical results suggest that: (1) firms are more likely to develop physical platforms than virtual platforms when they possess higher levels of available slack, potential slack, research and development (R&D) capacity and marketing capacity; (2) in general, firms developing physical platforms perform better than firms developing virtual platforms after the endogeneity bias are controlled; and (3) firms that choose to develop physical platforms perform better than if they had chosen to develop virtual platforms. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the platform research literature by proposing the endogenous role of platform type choice in firm performance in the context of the retail industry. Prior conceptual and theoretical platform studies have seldom focused on the retail industry through a strategic choice perspective. Furthermore, one of the contributions of this study is the derivation of empirical support for the research’s prediction using data from actual firms carried out by global physical and virtual platform companies. This study also presents many opportunities for further explorations on the relationship between firm strategic choice and firm performance in the context of platform retail industry. Practical implications The findings of this study suggest that firms must realize that their performance is not necessarily affected by these platform type choice determinants in terms of potential slack, available slack, R&D capacity and marketing capacity. By contrast, they should pay more attention to developing physical platforms if it is possible. The study findings indicate that although virtual platforms have grown rapidly because of the development of technology, firm performance is at all times superior when firms choose to develop physical platforms. Originality/value Prior platform studies have focused on the topic of network structure, platform architecture, pricing strategy, platform leadership and platform design and governance within the context of video game industry, software industry, hardware industry and telecommunications industry. Seldom of them focus on other industries through a strategic choice perspective. Furthermore, one of the contributions of this study is the derivation of empirical support for the research’s prediction using data from actual firms carried out by global physical and virtual platform companies.

scholarly journals Knowledge donation and knowledge collection patterns in a free software community

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-36
Author(s):  
Andrea Raymundo Balle ◽  
Carla Curado ◽  
Mírian Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Free Software ◽  
Using Data

This study aims to understand which combinations of tools and activities performed by members of a free software community lead to knowledge sharing. This paper reports a qualitative study developed using data from a worldwide Free Software Community (FSC). We’ve applied Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) technique, which offers alternatives configurations leading to both the outcomes and their absence. Results show that there is no solution leading to the absence of knowledge collection; there are several and alternative combinations leading to knowledge collection, knowledge donation, and both knowledge sharing processes. There are also some combinations leading to the absence of knowledge donation or the absence of both processes.

Servitization and digitalization in manufacturing: the influence on firm performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 564-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
María-Luz Martín-Peña ◽  
José-María Sánchez-López ◽  
Eloísa Díaz-Garrido
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Industrial Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emerging Trends ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to present a comprehensive framework that integrates the emerging trends of servitization and digitalization in manufacturing. The influence between digitalization and servitization is defined and quantified. Their contribution to firm performance is analyzed. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a theoretical model that captures the relationships between the analyzed variables. Drawing on the Spanish Business Strategy Survey, hypothesis testing is conducted using data on 828 Spanish industrial firms. Linear regression models are built to capture the effect of each variable on firm performance and the type of interaction between the variables. Findings Servitization and digitalization are positively related to firm performance. Digitalization positively mediates the relationship between servitization and firm performance. The mediating effect of digitalization contributes to differentiating between the direct and indirect effects of servitization on firm performance. Practical implications The paper provides a useful analysis framework for firms to evaluate servitization and digitalization as success strategies. It is proposed that firms must simultaneously commit to digital transformation and the incorporation of services to create value, especially in business-to-business settings. Servitization and digitalization interact to exert a greater influence on performance. Originality/value The paper contributes to the theory on service strategy by providing an analysis model that includes digitalization as a mediator of the relationship between servitization and firm performance. Digitalization may provide a mechanism to unlock the benefits of servitization and thereby enhance firm performance.

Integrative capability, business model innovation and performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changwei Pang ◽  
Qiong Wang ◽  
Yuan Li ◽  
Guang Duan
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Business Model Innovation ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how business model innovation (BMI) mediates the relationship between integrative capability, business strategy and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach A literature review provides the model and hypotheses. Using a sample of 165 Chinese firms, the authors conduct the examination using a theoretical model and hypotheses following standard analysis methods. Findings The results show that BMI positively mediates the relationship between integrative capability and firm performance. Moreover, a differentiation strategy positively moderates the link between BMI and firm performance, while a cost leadership strategy presents a significantly negative moderating effect. Research limitations/implications First, the authors test the hypotheses using data from China; thus data from other emerging economies should be tested. Second, the authors use cross-sectional data in this study making it impossible to verify the dynamic developed in the process of BMI; a longitudinal study could provide a more comprehensive understanding. Third, the authors consider one intermediate mechanism to test the relationship of integrative capability and firm performance; additional factors may link integrative capability and firm performance. Practical implications The mediating effect of BMI suggests managers should pay more attention to BMI to improve firm performance, and they should understand that BMI’s role varies across different business strategies. Originality/value The paper is original in its investigation of the effect of integrative capability and BMI on firm performance using data from China and demonstrates the mediating effect of BMI on the relationship between integrative capability and firm performance.

A fuzzy set analysis of the determinants of intention to adapt and pro-environmental behaviour

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara El-Deeb ◽  
Maria Correia ◽  
Christian Richter
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Theory Of Planned Behaviour ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Planned Behaviour ◽  
Environmental Behaviour ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate what drives people to show a willingness to mitigate the effects of climate change. To accomplish this goal, this research uses the theory of planned behaviour to examine whether attitude towards climate change, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control are potential determinants of a pro-environmental intention and thus a pro-environmental behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThis explanatory paper applies a Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify the key drivers of pro-environmental intention and behaviour. A non-probability convenience sample of 481 Egyptian respondents was collected.FindingsThis study finds that awareness combined with a willingness to pay to mitigate climate change are key drivers of pro-environmental intention. Moreover, personal responsibility and confidence in the ability to mitigate climate change also trigger climate-friendly intentions. Finally, it is found that societal engagement and willingness to take action increase the propensity to exhibit pro-environmental behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of our analysis cannot be generalized to the Egyptian population as a whole as our sample only comprises a sample of Egyptian students.Originality/valueThis paper is novel as it is the first that applies Qualitative Comparative Analysis to the Theory of Planned Behaviour. By doing so, the paper sheds light on the understanding of key cognitive, social-psychological and behavioural factors which lead to environmental actions. Hence, it provides policy-makers with a framework to support a more sustainable society.

Holistic configural models for sustainable entrepreneurs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun-Huang Huarng ◽  
Tiffany Hui-Kuang Yu
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Likert Scale ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Personal Traits ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Opportunity ◽  
Start Ups

PurposeThis research explores causal combinations (personal traits, external factors and self-fulfillment) that could provide holistic views leading to sustainable start-ups via data collected from Taiwanese entrepreneurs.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ five-point Likert scale measurements in the questionnaires and fuzzy-set/Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) for the investigation.FindingsThe study finds four types of sustainable entrepreneurs. Conservative resilient entrepreneurs have an absence of both openness and neuroticism. Conservative achieving entrepreneurs have an absence of openness and the presence of conscientiousness. Conservative-hired entrepreneurs have an absence of both openness and unemployment. Lastly, conservative opportunistic entrepreneurs exhibit an absence of openness and the presence of business opportunity.Originality/valueThe results add to the authors’ knowledge and understanding of the entrepreneurship literature and also offer implications for people who are interested in entrepreneurship as well as to policymakers wanting to promote new start-ups.

A Mixed Approach to the Work-Motherhood Relation: An Application of Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Generalized Linear Models

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Maria Dotti Sani ◽  
Mario Quaranta
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Generalized Linear Models ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Close Link ◽  
Institutional Contexts ◽  
Complementary Techniques ◽  
Mixed Approach ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Female labor force participation and total fertility rates have been negatively correlated until the early ’80s. By the end of that decade, however, the relationship changed sign. Scholars have suggested a close link between individual reproductive behavior, labor market participation and institutional contexts, but we still lack clear evidence of the underlying micro-level mechanism. We propose the use of complementary techniques, fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Generalized Linear Models, as the different assumptions underlying the two, combinatory vs. additive, may lead to new insights on how the combination of institutional features can produce different outcomes in terms of the work-motherhood relationship.

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