The relation between stakeholders’ integration and environmental competitiveness

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 755-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milad Abdelnabi Salem ◽  
Fekri Ali Shawtari ◽  
Mohd Farid Shamsudin ◽  
Hafezali Iqbal Hussain

Purpose This paper aims to explain the relationships between three dimensions of stakeholders’ integration and competitiveness focusing on 226 industrial corporations. It aims to investigate the influences of stakeholders’ integration on three dimensions of competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a cross-sectional study using a self-reported questionnaire. The collected data are analysed using structural equation modelling technique based on AMOS. Findings The results revealed that knowledge of the stakeholders per se will not provide any contribution to the different dimensions of competitiveness. Companies should extend their focus to adapt behaviours in line with stakeholders’ interests to gain competitive advantages. The data showed that in line with the stakeholders’ theory concept, adaptive behaviour dimension positively affects the three dimensions of competitiveness. Research limitations/implications There are several limitations that should be taken into consideration. First, the study used a self-reported questionnaire filled in by managers in the study sample; therefore, survey data might be subject to social desirability bias. Second, this study was conducted in Libya, which is considered a developing country, and, thus, caution should be taken when generalizing the results of the study. Originality/value To date, there is no an empirical evidence on how environmental stakeholders’ integration might affect firm competitiveness. Previous literature has investigated this issue using different environmental practices. However, none have used stakeholders’ integration in the environmental domain as a predictor to competitiveness. Therefore, the paper contributes to the body of knowledge by stating and testing the potential contributions of stakeholders’ integration to the multidimensional approach of competitiveness.

Author(s):  
Thanawut Limpanitgul ◽  
Pattana Boonchoo ◽  
Somboon Kulviseachana ◽  
Supawadee Photiyarach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the moderating role of organisational culture on the relationship between empowerment and the three dimensions of organisational commitment amongst flight attendants working in a collectivist organisation and an individualist organisation. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a sample of 439 Thai cabin service attendants from two major flag-carrier airlines (one based in Thailand and the other based in the USA) using self-administered questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was utilised to examine the hypotheses. Findings Overall, the findings revealed associations between empowerment and organisational commitment in both sample groups. Nonetheless, the extent and direction to which empowerment influenced the different dimensions of organisational commitment differed significantly. Research limitations/implications Cross-sectional study of Thai employees may limit generalisability of the findings to other contexts. Practical implications In use of empowerment for developing employee commitment to organisation, practitioners should take organisational culture into consideration. As such, relationship is weakened or strengthened based on whether the organisation is more individualist- or collectivist-oriented in its organisational culture. In an individualistic context, organisations can foster affective commitment through empowerment more easily than in a collectivist context. On the contrary, in a collectivist organisational context, it is easier to build normative commitment among employees through empowerment than to do it in an individualist context. Originality value Provide empirical evidence in regards to the role of organisational culture in conditioning the relationship between empowerment and organisational commitment in a non-Western context.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 862-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona X. Yang ◽  
Sherry Xiuchang Tan

Purpose This paper aims to empirically investigate how event innovation may induce desirable corporate branding. Design/methodology/approach A survey yielded 280 complete responses from tourists who had attended an event in Macau. Structural equation modeling was used to test the innovation-corporate loyalty framework through perceived event value and corporate image, with a multi-group comparison to examine differences between first-time and repeat customers. Findings The results indicate that innovation is not only the key to value enhancement of the event but also an efficacious instrument of branding the parent company and building corporate loyalty; only product-related innovation has a significant impact on event value; both functional and emotional values induce a more favorable corporate image; and event-induced corporate branding is more effective in securing repeat business than attracting new clientele. Practical implications The findings help hospitality operators and event planners to leverage innovative events for corporate branding and cater to different customer segments by providing distinct marketing strategies. Originality/value The study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding event management and corporate branding and sheds light on future research to explore the initiative and benefit of pushing forward event innovation.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kochu Therisa Karingada ◽  
Michael Sony

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has caught many educational institutions by surprise and warranted an abrupt migration from offline to online learning. This has resulted in an education change, without any time for due consideration, as regards its impact on musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) on students. The purpose of this study is to investigate MSD related to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate students in India. In total, 261 students participated in this online survey.FindingsThe study finds that around 80% of students have reported some symptom in the head, neck and eyes since they started online learning. In total, 58% have reported MSD symptom in the right shoulder and 56% in the right hand fingers. Besides, more than 40 % of students experienced some MSD symptoms, in almost all the body parts studied, due to online learning. Correlation analysis is conducted between time spent on online learning per day and MSD symptoms.Originality/valueThis is the first study conducted on MSD and online learning during COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 1013-1019
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Ghannadiasl

Purpose The elevated white blood cells (WBCs) count has been reported to be a predictor of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension and metabolic syndrome. This study aims to determine the associations between WBCs count and obesity in apparently healthy young adults. Design/methodology/approach In this cross-sectional study, the authors evaluated the body mass index (BMI) in 392 apparently healthy young adults of both sexes. The WBCs count was measured using standard counter techniques. The inclusion criteria were the agreement to participate in the study, between 18 and 25 years of age, lack of self-reported diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, kidney and infectious diseases. Findings According to the BMI classification, underweight and overweight or obesity were observed in 14.58 and 11.48 per cent of young adults, respectively. The mean WBC was 6.5 ± 1.5 (×10³ cells/µL). Higher values of WBCs were found in women than in men (p = 0.02). The young adults with higher BMI had a higher WBCs count. There was a positive correlation between WBCs count and weight and BMI (r = 0.19 and r = 0.22, p < 0.001, respectively). Research limitations/implications This research was a cross-sectional study. Future studies are suggested using longitudinal studies to examine more relationships between obesity and WBCs count in apparently healthy young adults. Practical implications The results of this study provide evidence for weight management in this age group to reduce diseases associated with increased WBCs count. Originality/value The WBCs count was related to increasing levels of BMI per cent 2 C even in the normal range.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 186-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serdar Durdyev ◽  
M. Reza Hosseini ◽  
Igor Martek ◽  
Syuhaida Ismail ◽  
Mehrdad Arashpour

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to quantify the barriers to the use of integrated project delivery (IPD), as assessed by 115 construction professionals in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach Barriers recording highest citation amongst researchers worldwide were collated in the form of a conceptual model. This model was validated via a partial least squares structural equation modelling technique. Findings Findings advance the body of knowledge on IPD by providing original insights into the nature of key barriers, quantifying the relative importance of each barrier. Research limitations/implications Despite the above-mentioned contributions, and before drawing any conclusion, it is prudent to acknowledge limitations, particularly the chosen research approach in focusing on the Malaysian context. Therefore, caution must be exercised in direct application of findings to other contexts; research findings should be seen through the lens of moderatum generalisations (see Payne and Williams, 2005). Practical implications Apart from contributions to the body of knowledge, for the world of practice, conditions impacting a transition to IPD are discussed, with a recommendation for change management through a tested mechanism like the European Corporate Sustainability Framework. Originality/value Being the first empirical study undertaken to quantify the relationship among the identified barriers and IPD, the present study contributes to the field by addressing the gap in IPD research in Malaysia, as an exemplar of a developing country; it creates knowledge to inform further improvements in project performance through facilitating IPD use. The study also offers insight to construction stakeholders in other developing countries for tackling issues that hinder the adoption of an IPD approach, and it also points to major barriers such that resources for tackling barriers may be allocated properly.


2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (8) ◽  
pp. 1669-1686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Maldonado-Guzmán ◽  
Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes ◽  
Sandra Yesenia Pinzón-Castro ◽  
Vikas Kumar

Purpose Specific research related to the study of innovation barriers in service SMEs in the Latin American region is limited. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects that external environmental, financial and human barriers have on innovation activities, particularly, within the context of Mexican service SMEs. Design/methodology/approach Three hypotheses were formulated and tested using structural equation modelling. Data were collected through an instrument that was developed based on relevant constructs adapted from the literature. The instrument was validated using confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach’s α test and the composite reliability index to ensure reliability of the theoretical model. The instrument was distributed among service SMEs in the Aguascalientes state of Mexico, from were 308 valid responses were obtained. Findings In general, the results indicate that all the three barriers investigated (i.e. external environmental, financial and human) hinder innovation in service SMEs, with the external environmental barrier being the most significant of the three. Practical implications The findings of this research can inform managers of service SMEs and policy makers when formulating and implementing strategies to reduce innovation barriers. Originality/value Evidence suggests that specific research related to the study of innovation barriers in service SMEs in the Latin American region is limited. This paper fills this research gap by expanding the limited body of knowledge in this field and providing further evidence on this phenomenon. The study also enables the distinctive characteristics of innovation barriers to be understood within a particular context, expanding in this way the body of knowledge on this field.


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 1669-1694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liudmila Tarabashkina ◽  
Pascale G. Quester ◽  
Roberta Crouch

Purpose Studies to date have focused on one or very few factors, rather than exploring a host of influences associated with children’s consumption of energy-dense foods. This is surprising as multiple agents are relevant to children’s food consumer socialisation (parents, peers, social norms and food advertising). This study aims to address these gaps and offers the first comprehensive empirical assessment of a wide cluster of variables. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was undertaken with children aged 7-13 years and their parents/main carers, collecting family metrics from parents and data directly from children. Structural Equation Modelling was used to estimate a series of interdependence relationships in four steps, revealing the increased explained variance in children’s consumption of energy-dense foods. Findings The inclusion of multiple potential factors increased the percentage of explained variance in children’s consumption of energy-dense foods. The models explicate which factors relate to frequent consumption in children, and clarify various indirect influences on children through parents. Originality/value For the first time, a wider range of variables was integrated to maximise the percentage of explained variance in children’s behaviour, providing policy makers and social marketers with novel insights regarding areas that need to be prioritised for consumer education. Both direct and indirect relationships were assessed. Data were collected from parents and their children to provide an original methodological contribution and richer data for investigation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Bassam Mahmoud ◽  
Bayan Khalifa

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to confirm the factorial structure of SERVPERF based on an exploration of its dimensionality among Syrian universities’ students. It also aimed at assessing the perceived service quality offered at these universities. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey was conducted targeting students at Syrian universities. Using a pilot sample of 40 students, the authors developed their hypotheses. Thereafter, based on a sample of 259 students, the hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and one-sample t-test. Findings – The findings revealed that SERVPERF in the Syrian universities’ context was a three-factor instrument consisting of the three dimensions: faculty-individualized attention, support staff helpfulness, and support staff empathy. Moreover, the findings showed that students at Syrian universities hold negative perceptions toward all of the three service quality dimensions provided by their universities. Practical implications – Given the imperative need for universities to monitor and improve the quality of their services, this study can help Syrian universities’ administrations understand the perceptions of their students toward services offered, which can help them formulate effective marketing strategies. Originality/value – This paper came to be one of the first studies that attempted to assess the perceived quality of services offered through the Syrian higher education system. Additionally, this study pioneered through drawing a factorial picture for SERVPERF at the Syrian Arab context.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumbul Zaman ◽  
Amirul Hasan Ansari

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to broaden the link between workplace flexibility (WF) and job engagement (JE) while considering quality of work life (QWL) as mediator and the use of knowledge sharing (KS) as moderator. While numerous studies have focused solely on the importance of WF, QWL, KS and JE only exclusively, this study integrates them to delineate their association and to empirically assess the relationships. To advance an in-depth knowledge of these aspects, the study goes beyond the conventional findings. Design/methodology/approach In total, 378 employees from software firms in India participated in the questionnaire-based survey. It is a cross-sectional study. The proposed conceptual model and hypothesis were analyzed and tested by structural equation modeling and process macro. Drawing on the person environment (P-E) fit theory and social exchange theory, the authors discuss how QWL mediates and KS moderates the association between WF and JE. Findings Results indicate a positive association between WF and JE. Furthermore, it was found that QWL mediated and KS moderated this association. Practical implications Findings of the study will help the management to comprehend the significance QWL interventions in increasing their JE. This paper may encourage HR managers in the Information Technology (IT) industry to perceive the importance of KS. Moreover, the study accentuates flexible work options as essential phenomenon to positively impinge on the JE of employees in the IT sector. Originality/value The present study tries to enrich the extant research on WF and JE while it demonstrates the use of QWL interventions and KS as vital constructs that may significantly and positively influence JE.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 477-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Wolfgang Lichtenthaler ◽  
Andrea Fischbach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how promotion- and prevention-focussed job crafting impacts the motivation of older employees to continue working beyond retirement age. The authors hypothesized that promotion-focussed job crafting (i.e. increasing social and structural job resources, and challenging job demands) relates positively and prevention-focussed job crafting (i.e. decreasing hindering job demands) relates negatively with motivation to continue working after reaching the official retirement age, and that these relationships are sequential mediated by work sense of coherence and burnout. Design/methodology/approach Data from 229 older employees (mean age=55.77) were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings Promotion-focussed job crafting was positively and prevention-focussed job crafting was negatively related with employees’ work sense of coherence, which was predictive of employees’ burnout, which in turn was predictive of motivation to continue working beyond retirement age. Research limitations/implications Despite the cross-sectional study design, the results unfold how promotion- and prevention-focussed job crafting are related with motivation to continue working beyond retirement age through work sense of coherence and burnout. Practical implications Given today’s aging and shrinking workforce, older employees working beyond their official retirement age are a necessity for organizations’ functional capability. The results suggest that organizations should encourage employees’ promotion-focussed job crafting and limit prevention-focussed job crafting. Promotion-focussed job crafting facilitates employees’ work sense of coherence, which keeps them healthy and motivates older employees to continue working beyond retirement age. Originality/value This study adds to the literatures on job crafting and motivation to continue working beyond retirement age and explicates intervening processes in this relationship.


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