National culture and corporate carbon performance

This study investigates the effects of cultural, institutional and natural ecosystems on corporate response to climate change. We find that national cultural tendencies towards future orientation, uncertainty avoidance, gender egalitarianism and humane orientation strengthen corporate performance, whereas certain other cultural dimensions, such as in-group collectivism, pose barriers to optimal carbon performance. We suggest that culture provides an incremental explanation for corporate climate behaviours beyond socioeconomic or regulatory determinants. Our study contributes to the carbon literature by comprehensively examining the role of a country’s national culture in determining corporate carbon performance, and its findings may help in the implementation of international climate accords (such as the Paris Agreement of 2015) in countries with heterogeneous cultural values and natural environmental contexts. JEL Classification: G54, Q56, P48

Redefining brand hijacking from a non-collaborative brand co-creation perspective

Purpose In the democratic digital environment, brand managers frequently deal with the unauthorized use of the brand by third parties. The phenomenon, known as brand hijacking, has been treated in different and sometimes conflicting ways in the academic and professional literature. The aim of this paper is to clarify the meaning of brand hijacking and to shed light on the various motivations and intentions underpinning the phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach A Delphi-based survey among both academic and professional experts was conducted to explore the key features of brand hijacking and expand existing theories. Findings The results of the Delphi survey enable the main brand hijacking actions to be mapped, based on two motivational axes (utilitarian–idealistic and destructive–constructive) and on the various intentions that guide the hijackers. The results help re-define the key elements of brand hijacking, through the lens of non-collaborative brand co-creation. Practical implications Managerial implications are presented in terms of the corporate response to the two main effects of hijacking, namely, brand reputational damage and brand repositioning. Originality/value The paper helps to shed light on the main components of brand hijacking, thus gaining expert consensus in refining the existent conceptualization in relation to a rapidly changing brand management scenario because of the gradual loss by brand managers of their traditional control.