scholarly journals How harmful are online firestorms for brands?

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-151
Author(s):  
Elena Delgado-Ballester ◽  
Inés López-López ◽  
Alicia Bernal-Palazón
Keyword(s):  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Exploratory Approach ◽  
Negative Comments ◽  
Cast Doubt ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Adopting an exploratory approach, this paper aims to focus on the potential negative consequences that online firestorms (OFs) might have on consumer–brand relationships. Specifically, the authors focus on the individual level through taking a close look at the content that users generate during these attacks. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted content analysis to study four recent brand-related OFs that occurred on Twitter. Findings The results show that brands are at the core of the users’ conversations, although other actors, such as competing firms, can also be affected. Negative comments greatly exceed positive ones. Actions against the brand, both passive (avoidance) and active (vengeance), emerged during the OFs. Research limitations/implications The exploratory nature of the study could cast doubt on the generalizability of the results. Moreover, the number of OF analyzed is limited, although they represent an interesting variety of brand misconducts. Practical implications Nowadays, brands are publicly scrutinized through social networks, as the networks enable users to speak out about brands’ perceived mistakes and wrongdoings. This paper confirms that managers should monitor, understand and try to respond to OFs to minimize their impact. Originality/value Online firestorms are a recent phenomenon that has gained attention finally, as they can reach hundreds of users in real-time and can involve a huge amount of comments posted online against a brand. These attacks could severely damage the brand, even when there is no strong evidence of the posted content being true. This paper adds to the scarce literature on the topic and analyzes the negative effects for brands.

Agricultural entrepreneurship orientation: is academic training a missing link?

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 856-870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soodeh Mohammadinezhad ◽  
Maryam Sharifzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Configuration Theory ◽  
University Courses ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Academic Courses ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Agricultural Entrepreneurship ◽  
Hierarchy Process ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of academic courses on agricultural entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach Modified global entrepreneurship and development index (GEDI) was used to determine entrepreneurial dimensions among 19 graduated students of agricultural colleges resided in Iran. Fuzzy analytical hierarchy process was applied to understand agricultural graduates’ preferences on effectiveness of university courses (core, free elective and restricted elective). Findings Results suggested the importance of professional restricted elective courses to provide students with necessary skills. These courses were successful in providing a context for entrepreneurial profile. Research limitations/implications Innate talent or acquired skills were always the place of debate on entrepreneurial development. The paper builds on the premise that entrepreneurs are made through education and continuing reconstruction of experience, further research is required as the field develops in experience and complexity. Practical implications The paper provides strategies to effectively modify practical route in higher education to enhance entrepreneurial orientation among students. Originality/value The paper is innovative at a conceptual level in modifying GEDI elements in individual-level variables based on GEDI configuration theory. This approach is particularly useful in addressing the bottleneck problems of entrepreneurship profile and focusses on the information interpreted at weights of the individual-level data.

Chinese culture, materialism and corporate supply of trade credit

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xian Chen ◽  
Jakob Arnoldi ◽  
Xin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Trade Credit ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Economic Decision Making ◽  
Trade Credits ◽  
The Individual

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how cultural value in materialism affects corporate supply of trade credits. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 14,710 firm-year observations of Chinese listed firms from 1998 to 2012, the authors examine the influence of regional materialism on accounts receivable. Findings The authors find that listed firms within more materialistic tend to extend less trade credit to their customers, in particular in long-term categories of trade credit. Such negative effects can be significantly mitigated by state control, suggesting the effects are more pronounced in privately controlled listed firms. The negative effects of materialism still hold after controlling for other regional factors, such as trust, GDP per capita or institutional development. Research limitations/implications The authors show materialism as a cultural construct varies across Chinese regions, and it could have important impact on corporate supply of trade credits, besides the previous found effects on consumer use of credit. Originality/value This paper expands the literature about the influence of materialism on economic decision making from the individual level to the corporate level.

Not too many but also not too few

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Uhrich ◽  
Michael Luck
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Retail Stores ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Sales Personnel ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the theoretical mechanisms that underlie the negative effects of low customer density on shoppers' emotions and behavioural responses in retail settings.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses three different qualitative techniques to explore the research question: semi‐structured interviews, shopping with consumers, and focus groups.FindingsThree major issues contribute to unfavorable consumer responses to low customer density levels in retail stores: exposure to undesired social influence from sales personnel; loss of social cues and evaluation criteria; and lack of social stimulation.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research assist store managers to resolve the problems associated with low customer density in retail stores. For example, the results suggest that the negative effects of low customer density can be mitigated by providing appropriate training for sales staff as well as by actively communicating the quality, price level, and image of the store.Originality/valueEmpirical evidence shows that the effects of customer density on shopper outcomes follow an inverted U‐shaped trend. Previous research has focused on explaining the negative consequences of high customer density, while the explanatory mechanisms for the negative effects of low customer density remain largely unclear. This research partially fills this gap in the literature by identifying the psychological processes that account for the negative effects of low customer density.

The value of human capital within Canadian business schools

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 836-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajantha Velayutham ◽  
Asheq Razaur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Structural Capital ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Academic Salaries ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate whether an individual’s knowledge, skills and capabilities (human capital) are reflected in their compensation. Design/methodology/approach Data are drawn from university academics in the Province of Ontario, Canada, earning more than CAD$100,000 per annum. Data on academics human capital are drawn from Research Gate. The authors construct a regression analysis to examine the relationship between human capital and salary. Findings The analyses performed indicates a positive association between academic human capital and academic salaries. Research limitations/implications This study is limited in that it measures an academic’s human capital solely through their research outputs as opposed to also considering their teaching outputs. Continuing research needs to be conducted in different country contexts and using negative proxies of human capital. Practical implications This study will create awareness about the value of human capital and its contribution towards improving organisational structural capital. Social implications The study contributes to the literature on human capital in accounting and business by focussing on the economic relevance of individual level human capital. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature on human capital in accounting and business by focussing on the economic relevance of individual level human capital. It will help create awareness of the importance of valuing human capital at the individual level.

scholarly journals Cross-sector dialogue for sustainability: to partner or not to partner?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Celine Louche ◽  
Suzanne Young ◽  
Martin Fougère
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Resource Based View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Societal Context ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce the topic and review the contributions of the special issue papers on cross-sector dialogue for sustainability. The paper also presents avenues for further research. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a review of the current literature on cross-sector partnership and dialogue. It explores the current issues in cross-sector partnerships through a discussion of the papers accepted for the special issue, their focus, findings and key contributions. Findings It highlights three main key research themes and learnings from the special issue papers: a high level of “hybridity” of collaboration forms, which involve important tensions; a need to understand partnership in its context and the importance of the individual level in cross-sector collaboration. Practical implications The authors call for attention to be paid to two forms of myopia: a tendency to view partnerships primarily from a resource-based view (without much attempt to measure societal impact) and a reluctance to be explicitly critical (despite empirical evidence of some suboptimal aspects of partnerships). Social implications The authors call for researchers to move away from a resource-based approach to one that is situated in exploring the value derived from partnerships in the broader societal context. The authors suggest some avenues for further research to move the discussion beyond the partnership imperative. Originality/value The paper outlines the need to critically revisit the very essence of what real partnership means and whether dialogue is really taking place.

Envy climate and group performance in full-service hotels: the roles of intragroup relationship conflict and competitive climate

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Wu ◽  
Dan Ni ◽  
Shaoxue Wu ◽  
Lu Lu ◽  
Xijing Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Performance ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Functional Perspective ◽  
Group Members ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The extant literature mainly focuses on the antecedents and outcomes of envy at the individual level. Workgroups have become ideal units for research on envy given the ubiquitous teamwork in organizations. This study aims to examine whether, how and when envy climate can influence group performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors analyzed data collected in three waves from a sample of 72 groups with 475 team members in full-service hotels in China. Findings Envy climate was negatively associated with group performance via intragroup relationship conflict. Furthermore, competitive climate moderated the effect of envy climate on intragroup relationship conflict and the indirect effect of envy climate on group performance through intragroup relationship conflict. Practical implications The present research offers organizations valuable insights into how to minimize the climate of envy and competition within a group and relieve the relationship conflict that may damage group performance. Originality/value Drawing on a social functional perspective of emotions, this study enriches the envy research by conceptualizing envy climate as a collective perception and clarifying its effect on group performance. The authors extend the understanding of envy climate by showing how a climate of envy embedded in a group influences group performance and also explain when group members may be more likely to act in a destructive way to respond to such a climate.

How to execute mindful marketing? The role of intrafirm network

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Network Characteristics ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Customer Information ◽  
Optimal Execution ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an empirical linkage of intrafirm network characteristics to individual-level mindful marketing (MM). Design/methodology/approach – Based on current literature in network, market orientation and MM research, this paper presents one conceptual model to capture enablers of MM execution with a network approach. The authors identified a pair of antecedent/barrier to MM execution: individual employees’ shared cross-functional tie and firm-level segmentation of the network. Findings – The paper shows that to execute MM, employees possessing more cross-functional ties are more likely to develop higher level of MM. Meanwhile, it was also found that firm-level segmentation of intrafirm network will negatively affect employees in executing MM. Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that to execute MM, employees possessing more cross-functional ties are more likely to develop higher level of MM. Meanwhile, it was also found that firm-level segmentation of intrafirm network will negatively affect employees in executing MM. Practical implications – The proposed empirical linkage shows that a manager shall intervene and help employees to build cross-functional ties in advice network among themselves. Thus, firms are able to effectively maintain mindfulness of people and profit and ensure optimal execution of MM strategy. Meanwhile, they should offset possible negative effects of the advice network due to segmentation at firm level, which provides useful customer information flow throughout the firm. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first attempts to advance and examine the role of intrafirm network in executing the concept of MM. Methodologically, this paper also explores the use of network analysis in discussion of an organizational structure that favors MM.

The global consciousness path to sustainable tourism: a perspective paper

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan A. Lew
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Quantum Physics ◽  
Global Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
Global Consciousness ◽  
Human Desire ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Tourism and travel experiences are a major contributor to expanding global awareness and consciousness, which is necessary to achieve sustainable development in an integrated and rapidly shrinking world. Design/methodology/approach Consciousness is a major area of theoretical speculation and debate in neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, biology, quantum physics and spirituality disciplines. These fields offer insights into how tourism contributes to an evolving global consciousness. Findings Global consciousness is needed to give a context and vision for addressing the pressing needs of the world today. It is a platform to integrate sustainability at the individual level, and it justifies the human desire to travel as a consciousness expanding experience. In this way, tourism can serve as a positive force for creating a truly sustainable future world. Practical implications Global consciousness could be adopted as an 18th UN Sustainable Development Goal to give a holistic, spiritual and personal vision to sustainable development, which is currently lacking. Travel and tourism would be a major participant in achieving this goal. Originality/value Global consciousness is a non-dualist visionary goal for humankind, and for travel and tourism, which could move both toward more sustainable outcomes than have the reductionist sustainable development practices of the past.

Knowledge sabotage as an extreme form of counterproductive knowledge behavior: the perspective of the target

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Serenko
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Third Parties ◽  
Conflict Prevention ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Workplace Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Consequences ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Zero Sum ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to explore the existence of knowledge sabotage in the contemporary organization from the perspective of the target. Design/methodology/approach This study collected and analyzed 172 critical incidents reported by 109 employees who were targets of knowledge sabotage in their organizations. Findings Over 50 per cent of employees experienced at least one knowledge sabotage incident. Knowledge sabotage is driven by three factors, namely, gratification, retaliation against other employees and one’s malevolent personality. Knowledge saboteurs are more likely to provide intangible than tangible knowledge. Knowledge sabotage results in extremely negative consequences for individuals, organizations and third parties. Organizations often indirectly facilitate knowledge sabotage among their employees. Both knowledge saboteurs and their targets believe in their innocence – saboteurs are certain that their action was a necessary response to targets’ inappropriate workplace behavior, whereas targets insist on their innocence and hold saboteurs solely responsible. Practical implications Organizations should recruit employees with compatible personalities and working styles, introduce inter-employee conflict prevention and resolution procedures, develop anti-knowledge sabotage policies, clearly articulate the individual and organizational consequences of knowledge sabotage and eliminate zero-sum game-based incentives and rewards. Originality/value This is the first study documenting knowledge sabotage from the target’s perspective.

Collective personality fit and diversity – how effective are they in predicting relationship conflict?

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-219
Author(s):  
Jee Young Seong ◽  
Doo-Seung Hong
Keyword(s):  
Work Teams ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interactive effect of collective personality fit and its diversity on relationship conflict in a team context. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 1,265 employees and their leaders in 110 work teams in a Korean manufacturing company. Findings The results show that the two-way interaction between collective personality fit and its dispersion affects relationship conflict in teams. The effect of collective fit on relationship conflict was found to be weaker when the dispersion of collective fit is low than when it is high. This study reports that a high level of collective fit dispersion may help resolve relationship conflict in certain conditions, such as when the level of collective fit is high. Practical implications This paper implies that the diverse perception of fit does not always hamper intragroup consonance, and relationship conflict can be reduced as long as the overall level of collective fit is high. The diverse or heterogeneous personalities of team members contribute unique attributes of each member to the success of the team because some members of a heterogeneous team may play the role of filling the gap left by others. Originality/value This study argues that collective fit is a new construct, not a simple aggregation of individual fit traits, and the pattern of relationships at the individual level is not replicated at the group level, either conceptually or empirically.

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