scholarly journals A recipe to control the first wave of COVID-19: More or less democracy?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Dempere

Purpose This research aims to study some national government success factors at controlling the first wave of COVID-19. The author placed special attention on democracy-related factors. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 156 countries were studied during the first half of 2020 and their government effectiveness was analyzed regarding six dependent variables, namely, the government’s daily average of stringency index, the outbreak response time, the daily average of cases and deaths per million, the daily average of tests per thousand and the mortality rate. Findings The study finds that countries with the highest democracy indexes applied the softest social constraints measured by the daily average stringency index. These countries suffered a more severe pandemic impact confirmed by the highest daily averages of cases and deaths per million and the highest mortality rate. Similarly, these countries exhibited the shortest outbreak response time and the most extensive daily average tests per thousand. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this study include lack of universal consensus for the dependent variables’ definitions, inconsistencies in how countries record COVID-19 deaths, differences in testing efforts, variances on health services, unreliable data from less democratic countries and so on. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, no previous research paper has studied the explanatory power of the author selected government success factors at controlling the first wave of COVID-19, which constitutes this study’s original contribution.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamer Zaki Fouad Mohamed ◽  
Chia-Hua Chang ◽  
Yu-Chuan Huang

Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of international quality assurance and accreditation on higher education quality improvement and competitiveness, as well as assessing the associated benefits and challenges in the Asian context with reference to Taiwan. Design/methodology/approach The paper used a qualitative approach to examine the case study of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology (STUST) accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The paper collected survey responses from service providers (i.e. STUST faculty and AACSB) and focus group discussions with students to bridge the perception-expectation gap. Findings The qualitative results highlighted 10 key success factors and performance indicators which were later used to build a balanced scorecard (BSC) strategy for STUST quality improvement and competitiveness. Findings show that education quality assurance (via AACSB process) can directly influence the competitive advantage (i.e. for AACSB, STUST and Students) or indirectly via education quality enhancement. The results from faculty and students are consistent with the value co-creation trend to achieve continuous quality improvement more effectively and efficiently. Originality/value This research paper is unique as the first qualitative in-depth study to discuss assurance related factors that positively or negatively affect competitiveness and quality improvement for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Asia and Taiwan. The paper also contributed by designing a BSC framework and strategy-map applicable to HEIs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Hansen ◽  
Wencke Gwozdz

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution in subsidiary performance and the factors influencing this performance based on a unique database of approximately 800 multi-national company (MNC) subsidiaries in developing countries. Developed-country multi-national companies (MNCs) are increasingly establishing subsidiaries in developing countries. The potential gains are high; however, so are the risks. While the issue of subsidiary performance should be at the heart of any international business (IB) enquiry into MNC activity in developing countries, surprisingly little research has examined this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a comprehensive literature review of the IB performance literature, it is hypothesized that subsidiary performance essentially is shaped by five clusters of factors: location, industry, MNC capabilities, subsidiary role and entry strategy. These factors’ ability to explain variance in subsidiary performance is tested through a multiple regression analysis. Findings – MNC subsidiary performance in developing countries has improved enormously in recent decades. Especially, MNC capability and subsidiary role-related factors appear to explain variance in performance, while location factors appear to have less explanatory power. This suggests that strong MNC capabilities and organization can make MNCs succeed regardless of location. Practical implications – The key preparatory work for MNCs contemplating entry into developing countries is to carefully scrutinize internal capabilities and organization. Originality/value – The paper presents a model for explaining variation in subsidiary performance in developing countries specifically. The paper offers unique empirical insights into the state and drivers of subsidiary performance in developing countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeraj Yadav ◽  
Ravi Shankar ◽  
Surya Prakash Singh

Purpose Critical success factors (CSF) for lean six sigma (LSS) using quality 4.0 are not researched so far. This study aims to bridge this gap. It also validates CSF already identified for LSS under conventional technologies. Design methodology approach Empirical research using the questionnaire method is conducted. Construct of the questionnaire is checked using Cronbach’s alpha and responses received are analysed using t-test and exploratory factor analysis. Findings In total, 20 factors are evaluated for LSS success. It includes 7 factors related to quality 4.0 technologies and 13 related to the conventional set-up. All 7 quality 4.0 related factors were found critical; whereas, under traditional set-up, 11 factors out of 13 were found critical. Practical implications The study will help enterprises in the fast and effective adoption of quality 4.0 and seamless integration with LSS. The post-Covid-19 business scenario is expected to be information technology focussed. The findings of this study will be useful in these circumstances. Consultants and practitioners can prioritise their efforts based on newly identified CSF. The new revelation about CSF for LSS in quality 4.0 enriches theory as well. Social implications Developing skills based on newly identified CSF will help people in remaining employable in the era of automation, robotics and artificial intelligence which is otherwise ill-famed for destroying jobs. Originality value CSF for LSS using quality 4.0 is a new contribution. It differentiates CSF established earlier for conventional technologies. Moreover, many CSF are common for LSS and industry 4.0, therefore this study will also help in smoother adoption of industry 4.0/quality 4.0 in organisations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 743-758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy J. Sierra ◽  
Harry A. Taute ◽  
Byung-Kwan Lee

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the indirect effect of smartphone-brand tribalism on the need for achievement. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 272 South Korean respondents, path analysis is used to evaluate the hypotheses. Findings Only the sense of community dimension of brand tribalism affects brand pride (PRIDE), which in turn leads to a sequential process of brand attitude, purchase intention, and need for achievement (NACHIEVE). Research limitations/implications South Korean data may confine generalizability. As effect sizes in this context are understood, researchers have an additional benchmark for future brand tribalism and PRIDE research. Practical implications The psychological underpinning and, the presence of brand tribes in society cannot be overlooked by strategists. Such tribal-laden following is also evident within smartphone communities. By further understanding brand tribalism outcomes, marketers and brand leaders are in an improved position to develop strategies that appeal to targeted customers, ultimately growing and strengthening their brand tribes. Originality/value Supported by the anthropological view of brand tribalism, this research contributes to the branding literature by examining the indirect effects of brand tribalism on the NACHIEVE through brand-related attitudes and behavioral intentions. Where previous research using westerners indicates the explanatory power of defense of the tribe on brand-related factors, no effect in this regard is found here using eastern smartphone consumers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 413-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sui Pheng Low ◽  
Shang Gao ◽  
Wen Lin Tay

Purpose – With pressing issues of climate change, greening buildings have emerged as a viable solution for meeting the increasing demand for buildings with minimal environmental impacts. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to establish the possibility of achieving this goal by investigating the drivers, challenges, and critical success factors (CSFs) involved in greening existing buildings. Since most of the relevant literature focuses on only acknowledging CSFs for new building projects in general, this study seeks to distinguish CSFs that are particularly related to the greening of existing buildings. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a review of past literature, 28 selected factors were identified and were categorised into five main groups, namely pre-project-related factors, project management-related factors, client-related factors, project team-related factors, and external factors. Because older buildings have more constraints than new buildings, a comparison of the CSFs for greening new and existing buildings was also made. Surveys and interviews were conducted to validate the CSFs identified. Findings – The top CSFs in each building category (new vs existing) were then further examined and analysed. These are “top management support”, “effective planning and control”, “building owner's involvement”, “cost management”, “responsiveness of building owners”, “clear scope and priorities of stakeholders”, and “legislation”. Furthermore, there was a strong consensus on the rankings of most factors between new and existing buildings. Research limitations/implications – By understanding the factors that are crucial for managing and delivering successful green projects in the Singaporean context, these CSFs can be used to direct an organisation's efforts in identifying critical issues and tackling them to achieve high performance. Originality/value – An ambitious goal of greening 80 per cent of Singapore's building stocks has been set by the government in the Second Green Building Master Plan. To help achieve this goal, this study contributes to the knowledge of project management issues that would determine the success of managing new green building projects and retrofitting existing ones.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-220
Author(s):  
Mona Jami Pour ◽  
Sahar Sadeghi ◽  
Elahe Yahyaei

PurposeAdvergame as a new approach in advertising has recently attracted the attention of many researchers and practitioners. Despite the growing investment, managers still do not have a comprehensive understanding of the success factors of advergames. To the authors’ knowledge, there are no studies that address success factors in advergames. The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively explore the success factors of advergames to enhance the markets' insight regarding the implementation of advergames.Design/methodology/approachThis study investigates the success factors of advergames implementation using the mixed-method approach. For this purpose, along with a literature review, some semistructured interviews with experts were conducted and the obtained data were analyzed using the thematic analysis. Then a survey was conducted to validate the extracted factors and criteria. The quantitative data were analyzed by Student t-test and factor analysis.FindingsThe results indicated that the main success factors of advergames are game design factors, brand/product-related factors, players' personality-related factors and technical factors. The rank orders of the mentioned factors and their subcriteria were identified using their respective variance.Practical implicationsIn advergame initiatives, technical issues must be considered along with game design factors, brand/product-related factors and players' personality-related factors simultaneously. The findings can assist managers to understand all aspects of advergames adaptation and assess the weaknesses and strengths of adervgame projects.Originality/valueAlthough the intersection between digital games and advertising has had a growing trend in both practical and academic contexts, there are few studies on what factors must be considered during advergames development and implementation. The main contribution of this study is to explore the important aspects of advergames success and their priorities. The findings provide a comprehensive insight on the interdisciplinary aspects of advergames.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Christofi ◽  
Demetris Vrontis ◽  
Erasmia Leonidou

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the authors aim to identify all the product- and brand-related factors that promote cause-related marketing (CRM) success. The second part of this research aim is, to undertake a product innovation theory application into the context of CRM, examine the degree and nature of its theoretical and practical consonance, and develop an integrated conceptual framework for CRM success. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is conceptual and incorporates and interrelates the findings of existing CRM research as applied within the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Specifically this paper accumulates the state of prior wisdom on CRM success through the identification of several product- and brand-related success factors, based on a systematic review of the literature. In doing so, it introduces the concept of product innovation as a CRM success factor and integrates those distinct fields into a conceptual framework. Findings – The authors develop an integrative framework and a propositional inventory that represents a consolidated foundation for the systematic development of a theory for successful CRM strategies, along with the integration of product innovation within the field of CRM. Research limitations/implications – Towards this direction, the objective of this study is theory construction rather than theory testing. Thus, much work remains to be done in terms of empirically testing our research propositions. In conclusion, this paper posits a set of research directions designed to enable scholars to further advance the integration of product innovation and CRM from both problem-driven theory development as well as theory-driven practice management perspectives. Originality/value – The value of this paper accumulates the state of prior wisdom on CRM success, a notion with increasing use by corporations in recent years. Furthermore, this paper appears to be the first of its kind to examine, from the theorist perspective, the dynamics implied by synthesizing these, so far, distinct concepts. Additionally, the research adds appreciable value to academic knowledge on the fundamental discussion of the bidirectional relationship between CSR and innovation, also contributing an analogous CRM success framework to the existing wisdom.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 184-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoonji Ryu ◽  
Kihan Kim ◽  
Jong Won Paik ◽  
Yunjae Cheong

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine factors influencing the audience demand for televised post-season games of the Korean professional baseball league.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from a total of 129 games – the entire post-season games from 2008 to 2016. Two dependent variables representing audience demand for televised baseball matches, obtained from the third-party television audit company AGB Nielsen, were regressed on a series of match-related and unrelated antecedent factors associated with each match. Pooled OLS regression with wild bootstrap standard errors with 100,000 replications was applied in the analysis.FindingsRegarding match-related factors, higher television ratings and the greater numbers of television viewers were associated with matches with greater significance, outcome uncertainty and score sum. In terms of the match-unrelated factors, the broadcast platform appeared to be the most powerful predictor of both television ratings and the numbers of viewers. Other than the broadcast platform, night matches, matches with full stadium occupancy and team values showed positive impacts on both the television ratings and the numbers of viewers.Practical implicationsThe sales of media rights and sponsorships are the major sources of revenues for professional sports leagues, and the size of these two streams of revenues is in proportion to the size of the audience demand for television and other media. This study provides valuable insights to the sports marketers of professional sports clubs and leagues by establishing proper understanding of the determinants of the audience demand for televised sports.Originality/valueThe characteristics specific to each professional league and country play unique roles in determining the antecedent factors of audience demand for televised sports; this study is one of the few attempts to examine Koran professional baseball league.


2021 ◽  
pp. 097215092110056
Author(s):  
Kanupriya Sethi ◽  
Baidyanath Biswas ◽  
Krishna Chandra Balodi

Adoption of an electronic marketplace (EM) business model for business-to-business (B2B) transactions has increased over the years. In part, this evolution and adoption of B2B EMs can be explained by the Internet-enabled disintermediation of the existing value chains of businesses, followed by cybermediation. This study aims to understand the platform architecture design and governance-related factors and strategic choices that influence the success of B2B EM start-ups. We draw from the literature on the ‘Temple Framework’ and the classification of B2B EMs by transaction content, structure, and governance to identify these critical factors. Given that the literature is primarily based in the context of developed economies, the factors and choices identified from the review are empirically validated using three case studies in the Indian B2B context. Thus, this exploratory study aims to help founder managers of emerging-economy B2B EMs by providing a checklist to avoid common pitfalls.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 1309-1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarang Joshi ◽  
Manoj Kharat ◽  
Rakesh Raut ◽  
Sachin Kamble ◽  
Sheetal Kamble

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between supplier development practices (SDPs) and supplier-buyer relationship practices from the supplier’s perspective (SBRSP), and seek to understand how specific SDPs may impact a buyer’s operational performance as well as supplier-buyer relationship practices. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a survey of 512 respondents from the different manufacturing firms in India and applied structural equation modelling to test a structural model that proposes the impacts of various efforts of SDPs on a buyer’s performance as well as SBRSP. Findings The study concludes that SDPs and SBRSP together improve the relationship between a buyer and supplier, and this improved relationship leads to competitive advantages (CAs) followed by profitability. Results indicate that supplier perspective of buyer-supplier relationship can be improved under the condition of SDPs and SBRSP together. SDPs are driven by productive measure and competitive pressure, whereas customer uncertainty is found to be statistically insignificant. Research limitations/implications The study was carried out in North Maharashtra Industrial Zone of India, where the auto sector and machine/components manufacturing firms have been established for a considerable period of time. Results of the study are limited to manufacturing organizations predominantly focussing on the automobile sector and machine/components manufacturing firms. Practical implications This study provides significant insights into the specific impact of various SDPs and SBRSP for both academics and practitioners. SDPs along with SBRSP practices lead to improvement in the relationship leading to CAs. SBRSP suggests that trust, long-term commitments and the supplier’s perspective are important practices for relationship improvement. Originality/value The current study attempts to identify what are the success factors for the supplier-buyer relationship from the supplier’s perspective and SDPs and how the supplier-buyer relationship can be improved under the condition of SDPs and SBRSP. Hence, the aim is to develop a more thorough understanding of the outcomes of a supplier-buyer relationship improvement from both buyer’s and supplier’s perspective, under the conditions of supplier development to achieve CAs leading to profitability. Furthermore, the study analyses the effect of the improved supplier-buyer relationship for achieving CAs leading to profitability.


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