Choosing Beyond Compliance Over Dormancy: Corporate Response to India's Mandatory CSR Expenditure Law

This article examines whether firms engaged in high levels of voluntary CSR (corporate social responsibility) alter their strategic choices in response to detrimental public policy – specifically India's Companies Act (2013) that mandates qualifying firms to spend 2% of their three-year average net profits on CSR. Drawing on the concept of organizational dormancy, we argue that firm capabilities, political awareness, exposure to political pluralism, and ownership identity may explain choice heterogeneity among these firms. Our key and non-intuitive finding is that even in the absence of discretionary choice in determining optimal CSR expenditure, firms are less likely to choose dormancy and instead embrace and even surpass the stipulations of the law in their CSR contributions. Also, politically aware firms are more likely to opt for dormancy over compliance. Managerial and policy implications are discussed.

Is the dark triad always detrimental to firm performance? Testing different performance outcomes and the moderating effects of competitive rivalry

There is growing evidence that CEOs who have the ‘dark triad’ of personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) detrimentally influence firm performance. However, there is still much we do not know. The present study suggests that the CEO dark triad might directly influence typical performance indicators in different ways: positively affecting external performance indicators (breakthrough sales), but negatively affecting internal performance indicators (organizational performance). We argue that the CEO dark triad can be interpreted differently by those external to the firm versus internally, where managers are much closer to the CEO’s dark personality. Our model includes managerial capital as a mediator and competitive rivalry as a moderator, and ultimately tests a moderated mediation model. Using data from 840 New Zealand firms, we find that the dark triad links to outcomes, as expected. While the CEO dark triad is negatively related to managerial capital, managerial capital does positively predict both performance indicators, and partially mediates the CEO dark triad effect. Overall, moderating effects highlight that the CEO dark triad is less detrimental in fiercely competitive business environments, acting as a consistent boundary condition across models. As competitive rivalry increases, the indirect effect of the CEO dark triad on performance decreases. We discuss the implications for understanding the role that the CEO dark triad can play in firms.

Reconsidering Patient Value to Create Better Healthcare

Healthcare can be seen as a value shop, in which solutions to health problems are offered in exchange for valuable contributions. However, the full value exchange between the healthcare provider and the patient is not always apparent. The value shop concept runs the risk of considering only what the patient pays (i.e., money, either paid by the patient or reimbursed by the government) while ignoring another important value, data. Yet without this data, the patient’s problem cannot be solved. This article offers a new paradigm in which a health provider can deliver better value by integrating all dimensions of the provider’s and patient’s value.

The Factors Influencing Users’ Trust in and Loyalty to Consumer-to-Consumer Secondhand Marketplace Platform

This study investigates the factors influencing users’ trust in and loyalty to Karrot, a Korean consumer-to-consumer secondhand marketplace platform. This research develops a model with key variables based on the dual model of post-adoption phenomena and adds variables reflecting the specific context of Karrot. An online survey of 305 Karrot users was conducted in South Korea during 19–23 May 2022; the data obtained were analyzed by SEM. The results reveal that two types of trust—trust in Karrot and mutual trust among Karrot users—are direct antecedents of loyalty. Mutual trust among Karrot users is an essential predictor of trust in Karrot. Economic benefits and perceived platform functionality are positively associated with trust in Karrot. Psychological ownership and information interactions were shown to be the important determinants of mutual trust among Karrot users. This study contributes to extending the horizons of post-adoption research by understanding users’ affective and practical motivations for trust and loyalty and by confirming the significant role of two types of trust in forming loyalty. Moreover, this study also provides implications for practitioners of C2C secondhand market platforms to develop their management strategies and expand their customer base.

How did consumers’ self-protective behavior formed during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Introduction

This study explored the formation mechanism of consumers’ self-protective behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is very important for policy settings to regulate consumer behavior. Based on the basic framework of the Protective Action Decision Model (PADM), this study analyzed the formation mechanism of consumers’ self-protective willingness from the perspective of risk information, and explained the deviation between consumers’ self-protective willingness and behavior from the perspective of protective behavior attributes.

Methods

Based on 1,265 consumer survey data during the COVID-19 pandemic, the empirical test was carried out.

Results and Discussion

The amount of risk information has a significant positive impact on the consumers’ self-protective willingness, where the credibility of risk information plays a positive moderating role between them. Risk perception plays a positive mediating role between the amount of risk information and the consumers’ self-protective willingness, and the positive mediating effect of risk perception is negatively moderated by the credibility of risk information. In the protective behavior attributes, hazard-related attributes play a positive moderating role between the consumers’ self-protective willingness and behavior, while resource-related attributes play the opposite role. Consumers pay more attention to hazard-related attributes than resource-related attributes, and they are willing to consume more resources to reduce risk.

Impact of Shared Leadership Quality on Agile Team Productivity and Project Results

Drawing on leadership theory, this research verified what makes shared leadership an effective form of leadership for agile project teams, and whether using it influences the outcomes achieved by such teams as well as the more distal outcomes. Survey data were collected from 251 members of agile project teams implementing projects of an iterative and incremental character. Structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was adopted to test the hypotheses. Our research confirms that shared leadership is an effective form of leadership for agile project teams whose members are empowered to engage in leadership functions or processes. The findings confirm a positive direct impact of shared leadership on the performance of agile project teams and indirect impact on project efficiency and effectiveness. The research results also confirm the influence of project team–related contextual moderators on shared leadership inputs and outputs. The study contributes to leadership theory in the plural leadership research stream and confirms the shift from individual leadership to collective leadership as a result of the growing popularity of the agility paradigm.

SDGs in corporate responsibility reporting: a longitudinal investigation of institutional determinants and financial performance

Companies play a central role in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); as such, they face institutional pressures to increase their engagement with SDGs. However, given the complexity of SDGs, it is unclear whether these pressures lead firms to adopt engagement approaches that address a few goals or the whole set of 17, and if that choice has any subsequent effect on financial performance. To shed light on these issues, this research draws on the neo-institutional theory to investigate whether two institutional determinants—industry type and country of origin—affect SDG engagement and whether such engagement improves financial performance. Based on a content analysis and a regression analysis on high-reputation companies (the 100 most sustainable firms in the world) over the period 2017–2020, we find that the institutional pressures associated with industry type and country-of-origin positively impact any engagement approach to SDGs. However, we establish that companies’ financial performance only generally improves when engaging with either the whole set of SDGs or a specific subset of the most frequently cited. This study provides important theoretical and practical contributions that illuminate firms’ institutional and financial rationales for adopting SDGs.

Lord of the Flies in Project-Based Organizations: The Role of Passive Leadership on Creativity and Project Success

This study examines the role of passive project leadership in project success. The article deduces a theoretical model implying that passive project manager leadership behavior affects the success of information technology projects, directly and indirectly, via employees’ creativity. Self-regulation is proposed as a mitigating factor to minimize the destructive effects of passive leadership on creativity. The current study is based on a quantitative research design. A time lag design was used to collect data from 347 respondents working on information technology projects in Pakistan. SmartPLS was used for data analysis. The findings demonstrated that although passive leadership appears in flat organizations, it can have a negative impact on project success via creativity. Additionally, if the person is self-regulatory, it will not alter the results. The study added to the project management body of knowledge by confirming that a strong leadership role, instead of a passive one, is essential to boosting the creativity of project personnel. A passive leader remains inactive during situations where a strong leader is needed; however, self-regulation on the part of employees proved insufficient to propel a project toward success.

Teleconsultation management in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic: The impact of Perceived Justice on satisfaction and Word-Of-Mouth

Following the restrictions on movement imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the greater demands placed on physicians and many healthcare infrastructures, a large number of health teleconsultation platforms have emerged around the world. The aim of this paper is to obtain a better understanding of the acceptance of teleconsultation platforms by patients. To this end, a survey of 1273 patients was carried out using a teleconsultation platform during the pandemic period in France (from 9 July to 29 October 2020). The questionnaire mobilized existing scales to measure Satisfaction, Perceived Justice and, finally, the intention to disseminate by Word-Of-Mouth (WOM). Data were analysed using a Partial Least Squares approach. The study confirms the impact of Distributive, Informational and Procedural Justice on Satisfaction and the impact of Distributive and Informational Justice on WOM. The findings emphasize the influence of Satisfaction on WOM. The results detect a mediating effect of Satisfaction on WOM and moderating effects of gender, age and long-standing use. This research contributes to both theoretical and practical COVID-19 research and may be used by healthcare professionals to develop teleconsultation services, one of the means of supporting interaction and satisfying patients’ treatment requirements during the pandemic.

The impact of corporate social responsibility decoupling on financial performance: the role of customer structure and operational slack

Purpose

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) decoupling indicates a misalignment between how firms report CSR and what firms actually practice with respect to CSR. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between CSR decoupling and financial performance and the factors affecting this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper collects and combines secondary panel data from multiple sources of Chinese listed firms from 2008 to 2020 to test the direct impact of CSR decoupling on firms’ financial performance and the moderating role of customer structure and operational slack.

Findings

This paper finds that CSR decoupling is negatively associated with firms’ financial performance. These findings further suggest that the negative relationship can be suppressed by customer stability and operational slack, but amplified by customer concentration. These conclusions remain robust to alternate measures of independent and dependent variables and narrower samples.

Originality/value

In the literature, the effect of CSR on firms’ financial performance is inconclusive. This is the first study to examine the impact of CSR decoupling on firms’ financial performance and the factors affecting this relationship. This paper contributes to the CSR decoupling literature from an operations and supply chain management perspective.

Supply chain agility and performance: evidence from a meta-analysis

Purpose

The link between supply chain agility (SCA) and performance has been tested in previous research with different samples and results. The present paper quantitatively analyses and summarises the impact of SCA on performance found in previous empirical papers and determines the influence of several identified moderators.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a meta-analysis approach based on a systematic literature review, a total of 63 empirical papers comprising a sample of 14,469 firms were meta-analysed to consider substantive (type of performance and SCA operationalisation) and extrinsic (economic region and industry) moderators.

Findings

Results confirm a significantly large, positive correlation between SCA and performance. None of the analysed moderators has enabled the identification of any significant differences between the SCA and performance correlations by subgroup. However, high heterogeneity in total variance, both in the full sample and the subgroups by moderator, demands further rigorously reported empirical research on this topic with clearly conceptualised variables and frameworks and the use of validated scales.

Research limitations/implications

Several research gaps and best practice recommendations have been indicated to improve future empirical research on this topic.

Practical implications

Practitioners in different economic regions and industries will find consistent evidence of improvements in performance through SCA.

Originality/value

No meta-analysis has been found in previous research to estimate the value of the correlation between SCA and performance and the influence of moderating variables.

How line-manager leadership styles and employee-perceived HRM practices contribute to employee performance: a configurational perspective

Purpose

This paper aims to carry out a study on the combined effects of leadership styles and human resource management (HRM) practices on employee performance. Based on configurational theory, this study integrates task-oriented leadership, relations-oriented leadership, change-oriented leadership and human resource hygiene practices (HRHPs) and human resource motivation practices (HRMPs) to detect distinct configurations of leadership styles and HRM practices that may lead to high and not-high employee performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was adopted to identify the configurations of conditions associated with the outcome, with data obtained from 108 employees and 32 line-managers in China through structured interview and questionnaire survey.

Findings

The results show that there are five sufficient configurations for the presence of high employee performance and three for performance's absence. Relation-oriented leadership, HRMPs and enterprise property are more important conditions to employee performance than others. Furthermore, no single condition constitutes a necessary condition for causing the high or not-high employee performance.

Originality/value

Compared to previous studies that mainly focused on linear relationships, this study applies the fsQCA method to explore how matching different leadership styles and HRM practices could bring about high and not-high employee performance, which provides evidence for the three propositions of “multiple conjunctural causation,” “equifinality” and “asymmetry.”

How Advanced Practice Nurses Can Be Better Managed in Hospitals: A Multi-Case Study

The labor markets for care professionals are a perennial topic of discussion. Advanced practice nurses (APN), as an advanced role in nursing, arose to solve the shortage of primary health care professionals. Prior research has advanced several areas of exploration for APNs' training or employing methods in Chinese hospitals. However, this leaves a key imperative unexplored: the management strategy of APNs in hospitals. The present study seeks to explore the management strategy of APNs in Chinese hospitals. The resource orchestration theory served as the guide as the multi-case study method investigated 18 case hospitals, gathered information from a variety of case data sources, and summarized the management strategies for hospitals' advanced practice nurses. Four types of APN management strategies-expert customized type, hierarchical linkage type, multidisciplinary benefit type, and professional penetration type-have been identified through resource orchestration. Hospitals can utilize the APN management strategy model as a guide to manage APNs in accordance with the unique characteristics of APN resources.

Knowing what you don’t know: a tertiary study on knowledge management

Purpose

This paper aims to conduct a tertiary review to analyse the state of the art of literature reviews on knowledge management (KM) published in academic journals and provide an overview of their evolution. From 2000 to 2022, about 500 reviews have been published in the KM field, with most systematic studies compared to bibliometric or meta-analytic studies, and an absence of previous tertiary studies. Therefore, given the lack of previous tertiary research, this paper provides a complete picture of the evolution of review topics in the past and presents implications for both researchers and practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

A classification scheme was defined to cluster and evaluate the literature reviews, both in terms of methodological approach and content. Regarding the content, the various secondary papers were classified according to the purpose of the research (state of the art, taxonomy, research agenda and research framework), the unit of analysis (small and medium enterprise, large company, start-up and university), the KM models adopted and the thematic areas addressed. Furthermore, a tertiary review methodology was identified integrating two main approaches: a bibliometric approach for cluster identification and a systematic approach for the discussion.

Findings

Two categories of contributions emerge from the results: those concerning research topics that have found a continuous interest over time and those that have not yet found a constant research interest. This latter aspect is relevant to help researchers conduct future literature analysis in KM research to bridge existing research gaps.

Research limitations/implications

This paper provides a unique compendium of search directions to offer a comprehensive overview of the scientific debate about KM. This overview can also be used as a managerial panacea to identify best KM practice guidelines from existing reviews.

Originality/value

This is a unique attempt to conduct a tertiary study on KM for more than two decades by providing insights into the structural body of knowledge through academic progress in the subject of KM. Thus, this study expands the field of KM and provides original approaches for research in the field.

Transformational leadership and learning flows

Purpose

This study aims to examine how transformational leadership impacts learning flows that are critical for enhancing the learning capabilities of organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 502 employees of business organizations located in India. A cross-sectional design was adopted, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for data analysis.

Findings

Transformational leadership behavior positively influences feed-forward learning flows in organizations and strengthens their learning stock. Learning stock held by the individuals emerged as a predictor of feed-forward learning flows in organizations and a partial mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and feed-forward learning flows. The study’s findings suggest transformational leadership encourages feed-forward learning flows through the development of individual learning stock.

Originality/value

This study empirically supports the theoretical claim of transformational leadership behaviors as an important antecedent to fostering organizational learning.

Corporate social responsibility: a cluster analysis of manufacturing firms in India

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the corporate social responsibility (CSR) patterns of Indian manufacturing firms using a CSR index based on ISO26000 and India’s National Voluntary CSR Guidelines.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 121 manufacturing enterprises in the national capital region (NCR) were surveyed. The questions related to the involvement of CSR in business strategy, involvement in CSR planning, involvement in environmental activities, involvement in social activities, monitoring, evaluation and involvement in CSR, reporting and policy and deployment of CSR. A two-step cluster analysis using log-likelihood measures was used to identify groupings in the data set based on their performance across the seven issues.

Findings

The two distinctive segments identified adopted intermediate CSR activities, and one undertook advanced CSR activities.

Research limitations/implications

This study has several limitations. First, the survey data were drawn exclusively from medium-sized enterprises in the NCR. Second, all the indicators in the CSR index were equally weighted.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by grouping manufacturers’ CSR activities based on seven dimensions suggested in ISO26000 and India’s National Voluntary Guidelines. The results of this study can help managers, boards and regulators better understand CSR and identify ways to improve it further.

An international examination of market orientation and performance in residential property management

Purpose

The paper offers clarity to the market orientation (MO) and performance relationship in real estate by examining the limited relevant literature, presenting international results and discussing the implications for market orientation researchers and real estate practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a survey of 1,251 individual renters in the USA, the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada, this study examines the relationship between residential property managers’ MO and performance. It extends MO research in real estate by focusing on property management as opposed to property development.

Findings

The results show that MO and performance are correlated in all three countries. Commitments to understanding and serving customers and differentiating from competitors are shown to enhance performance measures including residential tenants’ loyalty toward the property manager, trust in the property manager, pride in rental accommodation and commitment to paying rent on time.

Originality/value

This study is one of the largest MO studies in real estate in terms of sample size and offers a unique international perspective. The research is novel as MO is evaluated by tenants as opposed to self-assessed by firms. The paper offers a new measure of property manager performance and provides strategic directives for real estate professionals seeking to enhance competitiveness.

Combining Structural and Sequential Ambidexterity: A Configurational Approach Using fsQCA

Structural and sequential ambidexterity are proved to be two prevalent approaches in managing tension between exploration and exploitation. Dominant studies have treated the two approaches as mutually exclusive but have provided less insight about their combination, and the organizational configurations that advance such combination, which is a major meaningful gap explored in the current study. This study aims to explore the configurations of organization design choices to combine structural and sequential approaches from a holistic perspective. We apply fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze the empirical data collected from 102 firms in China. The results show that firms attain high ambidexterity with both separated and blended configurations. Blended ones demonstrate that the structural and sequential approaches can be combined in a way that one approach dominates and the other subordinates. Organizational design mechanisms regarding the configurations for combining structural and sequential approaches are concluded as multielements (complements and substitutes) and multilevels (fit and interaction). These findings are also interpreted through the Chinese ‘Yin-Yang’ framework, which introduces ‘Yin-Yang balancing’ into the ambidexterity literature.

Knowledge transfer and innovation in multinationals: a review of the literature using SCM-TBFO framework

Purpose

Business research has highlighted the importance of knowledge transfer and innovation in multinational firms for better performance outcomes. However, the existing body of literature is characterized by differentiated theories, antecedents and outcomes. This study aims to address this gap by adopting a systematic approach to analyze knowledge transfer and innovation literature from the perspective of multinational organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study follows “preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses” (PRISMA) guidelines for conducting a systematic literature review. The study adopts a systematic approach for analyzing the literature using School of thought (S), Contexts (C), Methodologies (M), Triggers (T), Barriers (B), Facilitators (F) and Outcomes (O) framework (SCM-TBFO framework) devised for holistic literature review. The study analyzes 75 articles from reputed journals from 2000 to 2022.

Findings

In general, knowledge transfer and innovation in multinationals is a relatively new area and is evolving rapidly. There are many opportunities to study the various perspectives that are included in the SCM-TBFO framework. The key schools of thought included the evolutionary theory of innovation, institutional theory and internationalization theory. The studies had differing settings or contexts, including China, Europe, the USA and Taiwan. Further, key methodologies that were used included regression, case studies, structural equation modeling (SEM) and theoretical studies. Knowledge transfer and innovation triggers included competitive advantage, competitive pressure, constant requirements for better products and services, foreign direct investment (FDI) and globalization. Knowledge transfer and innovation facilitators were categorized into strategy-related facilitators, organization culture and orientation-related facilitators, and resource-related facilitators. Knowledge transfer and innovation barriers included autonomy, international knowledge dispersion, risk of knowledge leakage, search breadth, ambiguity and institutional voids. Key outcomes of knowledge transfer and innovation in multinationals included financial performance, innovation performance, knowledge flow, transfer effectiveness, patents and new product development.

Originality/value

By synthesizing the literature, the study aims to provide an overview of the current state of research on knowledge transfer and innovation in multinationals. The study develops a holistic model for fostering knowledge transfer and innovation in multinationals. The proposed novel framework can also be applied to perform a holistic assessment of the current literature in various research domains. Further, the study suggests future theory development and research agendas. The study also provides implications for practitioners using the framework to achieve more desirable outcomes.

Health System-Level Barriers to Living Donor Kidney Transplantation: Protocol for a Comparative Case Study Analysis

BACKGROUND

Living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) is the best treatment option for patients with kidney failure and offers significant medical and economic advantages for both patients and health systems. Despite this, rates of LDKT in Canada have stagnated and vary significantly across Canadian provinces, the reasons for which are not well understood. Our prior work has suggested that system-level factors may be contributing to these differences. Identifying these factors can help inform system-level interventions to increase LDKT.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective is to generate a systemic interpretation of LDKT delivery across provincial health systems with variable performance. We aim to identify the attributes and processes that facilitate the delivery of LDKT to patients, and those that create barriers and compare these across systems with variable performance. These objectives are contextualized within our broader goal of increasing rates of LDKT in Canada, particularly in lower-performing provinces.

METHODS

This research takes the form of a qualitative comparative case study analysis of 3 provincial health systems in Canada that have high, moderate, and low rates of LDKT performance (the percentage of LDKT to all kidney transplantations performed). Our approach is underpinned by an understanding of health systems as complex adaptive systems that are multilevel and interconnected, and involve nonlinear interactions between people and organizations, operating within a loosely bounded network. Data collection will comprise semistructured interviews, document reviews, and focus groups. Individual case studies will be conducted and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Following this, our comparative analysis will operationalize resource-based theory to compare case study data and generate explanations for our research question.

RESULTS

This project was funded from 2020 to 2023. Individual case studies were carried out between November 2020 and August 2022. The comparative case analysis will begin in December 2022 and is expected to conclude in April 2023. Submission of the publication is projected for June 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

By investigating health systems as complex adaptive systems and making comparisons across provinces, this study will identify how health systems can improve the delivery of LDKT to patients with kidney failure. Our resource-based theory framework will provide a granular analysis of the attributes and processes that facilitate or create barriers to LDKT delivery across multiple organizations and levels of practice. Our findings will have practice and policy implications and help inform transferrable competencies and system-level interventions conducive to increasing LDKT.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/44172.

Higher education research performance parameters classified by systems theory: antecedents for the development of assessment models

Purpose

This paper aims to identify and classify the parameters that construct the input, processes, output, productivity and outcome variables that affect performance. These parameters are used in the evaluation model to measure research performance in universities so that they can be used as the basis for making leadership policies both at the national and institutional levels.

Design/methodology/approach

The design of this research is a quantitative research method using a survey questionnaire that was sent to the heads of research institutions at universities in Indonesia. To obtain these parameters, a test for determining the value of the loading factor was used.

Findings

The authors found that input variable parameters consisted of 10 parameters; process variable consisted of 22 parameters; output variable parameters consisted of 8 parameters; productivity variable consisted of 4 parameters; and outcome variable parameters consisted of 10 parameters.

Originality/value

One approach to obtain parameters is through systems theory, where every element that makes up the organization contributes to the achievement of goals. This study attempted to develop parameters in the performance appraisal model of systems theory-based research institutions that are adapted to trends in the direction of research in universities. These parameters are based on aspects of input, process, output, productivity and outcome.

Board diversity on firm performance from resource-based view perspective: new evidence from Pakistan

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of extensive board diversity on firm performance from the perspective of resource-based view (RBV) theory in the context of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

The analyses are made using a panel random-effects model and generalized method of moment (GMM) across 188 non-financial firms listed in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) over the period of 2009–2020. The robustness of findings is checked through alternative measurements of the variables and alternative estimation techniques.

Findings

The results show that board members' nationality, ethnicity and educational level diversities are significantly positively related to firm performance. In contrast, age and educational background diversities negatively affect firm performance. However, gender and tenure diversities have an insignificant relationship with firm performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study is conducted in the context of Pakistani firms; thus, the findings may not be generalizable to other economies because different economies have different institutional settings and governance structures.

Practical implications

The policy-makers should encourage the inclusion of board members' nationality, ethnicity and educational level diversities having relevant educational backgrounds to improve firms' competitive performance. The suggested structure of the corporate board may improve firm performance by attracting multiple stakeholders and fulfilling their expectations.

Social implications

The appointment of a director should be based on merit rather than on political connections or personnel relationships to improve social welfare and avoid their negative impact on firm competitive performance.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the impact of board diversity on firm accounting-based performance and market-based performance in the emerging economy of Pakistan. This study uses RBV theory to provide a unique corporate governance structure based on board diversity, particularly in Pakistan.

A systematic investigation into the reliability of inter-temporal choice model parameters

Decades of work have been dedicated to developing and testing models that characterize how people make inter-temporal choices. Although parameter estimates from these models are often interpreted as indices of latent components of the choice process, little work has been done to examine their reliability. This is problematic because estimation error can bias conclusions that are drawn from these parameter estimates. We examine the reliability of parameter estimates from 11 prominent models of inter-temporal choice by (a) fitting each model to data from three previous experiments with designs representative of those typically used to study inter-temporal choice, (b) examining the consistency of parameters estimated for the same person based on different choice sets, and (c) conducting a parameter recovery analysis. We find generally low correlations between parameters estimated for the same person from the different choice sets. Moreover, parameter recovery varies considerably between models and the experimental designs upon which parameter estimates are based. We conclude that many parameter estimates reported in previous research are likely unreliable and provide recommendations on how to enhance the reliability of inter-temporal choice models for measurement purposes.

The digital commons, cosmolocalism, and open cooperativism: The cases of P2P Lab and Tzoumakers

The digital commons support novel organizational models such as cosmolocalism and open cooperativism that seek to challenge the capitalist mode of production. They set out to establish a counter-hegemony vis-à-vis the current hegemony of neoliberalism. The paper engages in the debate between Marinus Ossewaarde, Wessel Reijers and Vasilis Kostakis over the emancipatory potential of the digital commons by reviewing the P2P Lab and Tzoumakers as illustrative cases of cosmolocalism and open cooperativism. The paper shows that the P2P Lab and Tzoumakers exhibit core features of cosmolocalism and prefigure a sketch of open cooperativism. For the digital commons in general and P2P Lab/Tzoumakers in particular to contribute to the counter-hegemony of open cooperativism, it is necessary to link to a chain of equivalence criss-crossing the commons, ethical market entities and a partner state via cross-sectoral value propositions, inclusive governance, and economic models, innovative law policies and open sustainability standards, all aiming to force capitalism adjust to a commons-oriented post-capitalist transition.

How to not lose oneself: the case for relational identity in collaborative supply relationships

Purpose

For a long time, researchers have stressed the importance of identity for collaborative supply relationships. Accordingly, it has been proposed that supply relationships may be efficiently managed by establishing a shared collective identity among partners. However, this strategy may challenge the partners' individual distinctiveness and thus lead to adversarial relationship outcomes. In this article, it is argued how and when establishing an intergroup relational identity may be a better choice than building a collective identity.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual research is based on an analysis of previous literature. Relational identity theorizing and the theory of intergroup leadership are applied to build on and extend previous views on identity in interorganizational contexts.

Findings

It is proposed that when supply chain actors are subject to identity threats in collaborative supply relationships, such threats are driven by the imbalance of power between or among the parties. Therefore, establishing an intergroup relational identity should be preferred over a collective identity in situations characterized by a high identity threat.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies could support this article's theoretical suggestions with empirical evidence.

Practical implications

Intergroup relational identity preserves the distinctiveness of all parties involved in a collaborative relationship and is based on their individual contributions. Managers could support a collaborative environment and promote a shared vision between or among organizations through appropriate rhetoric.

Originality/value

This study contributes to an understanding of the relational aspects of interorganizational behavior by adapting social psychological theories to this area of research.

The Mortality of Family Business Leaders: Using a Palliative Care Model to Re-imagine Letting Go

The succession literature frames a leader's reluctance to let go as the single largest deterrent to succession planning, and early literature pointed to the stronghold that mortality can have on letting go. The notion has not captured our continued curiosity, preventing a full understanding of the tensions and antecedents of family business succession. Most scholarship on letting go describes a quest for immortality and in this sense, ‘mortality’ has been misapplied and one dimensional. In an interdisciplinary boost to family business, we turn to palliative care, where it is believed that the acknowledgment of one's mortality will facilitate letting go. We develop four typologies of letting go by combining elements of mortality awareness and planning that offers nuance and insights into long-held beliefs about this most vital and finite ‘soft issue’. We discuss emotion governance tools that help change the mortality awareness trajectory and support family business succession.

The effect of ownership composition on corporate financial performance in the European frontier markets

Purpose

This study investigates the influence of ownership composition on market-based and accounting-based financial performance in the European frontier markets (EFMs), a target region for global investors.

Design/methodology/approach

Ownership composition is defined as shareholders' concentration and structure (i.e. foreign, domestic, state and free-float), whereas financial performance is measured as Tobin's Q and return on assets. The system generalised method of moments panel data estimation technique is employed on a sample of 241 companies.

Findings

Findings reveal that companies from European Union (EU) frontier markets are controlled, on average, by one to five large shareholders. Being a signal of expropriation rationale of majority shareholders regardless of the capital structure, this highly concentrated ownership and decision-making model negatively affects the market-based and accounting-based financial performance of the companies and thereby supports the agency theory in the frontier markets.

Research limitations/implications

The findings provide empirical evidence for authorities, investors, analysts and corporations regarding the effect of ownership percentage and structure in the Eastern European region, assisting also other frontier and emerging markets in corporate governance and other regulatory decisions.

Originality/value

The ownership–performance relationship varies from developed to emerging markets with conflicting results. This study provides evidence on monitoring and expropriation effects of majority shareholders in the context of different categories of shareholders. In doing so, it combines the analysis of both ownership concentration and structure in the EFMs.

Impact of participation in the belt and road initiative on regional economic resilience at province level

Purpose

This study aims to examine how participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) affects province-level regional economic resilience. In the context of dual circulation – the new development paradigm proposed by the Chinese Government – participating in the BRI is an important means of connecting both international and domestic circulations and achieving high economic resilience. The complex causal relationship between participation in the BRI and province-level regional economic resilience is investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the complex system view, this study uses fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to examine the impact on regional economic resilience when provinces participate in the BRI through unimpeded trade, infrastructure connectivity, financial integration and people-to-people bonds under the two conditions of attention allocation and buffering capacity. Qualitative textual analysis is applied to analyse provincial work reports, and relevant statistical data are used to measure the economic resilience from 2013 to 2020.

Findings

The authors identified three condition configurations that lead to a high regional economic resilience at province-level and one condition configuration that lead to no high-level regional economic resilience.

Research limitations/implications

In-depth analyses of qualitative materials should be conducted to explain the systematic relationships among the conditions.

Originality/value

This research is of practical significance to the development of the theoretical framework and practices of the BRI in the context of dual circulation.

In search of a suitable way to deploy Triple-A capabilities through assessment of AAA models' competitive advantage predictive capacity

Purpose

To determine how to best deploy the Triple-A supply chain (SC) capabilities (AAA-agility, adaptability and alignment) to improve competitive advantage (CA) by identifying the Triple-A SC model with the highest CA predictive capability.

Design/methodology/approach

Assessment of in-sample and out-of-sample predictive capacity of Triple-A-CA models (considering AAA as individual constructs) to find which has the highest CA predictive capacity. BIC, BIC-Akaike weights and PLSpredict are used in a multi-country, multi-informant, multi-sector 304 plant sample.

Findings

Greater direct relationship model (DRM) in-sample and out-of-sample CA predictive capacity suggests DRM's greater likelihood of achieving a higher CA predictive capacity than mediated relationship model (MRM). So, DRM can be considered a benchmark for research/practice and the Triple-A SC capabilities as independent levers of performance/CA.

Research limitations/implications

DRM emerges as a reference for analysing how to trigger the three Triple-A SC levers for better performance/CA predictive capacity. Therefore, MRM proposals should be compared to DRM to determine whether their performance is significantly better considering the study's aim.

Practical implications

Results with our sample justify how managers can suitably deploy the Triple-A SC capabilities to improve CA by implementing AAA as independent levers. Single capability deployment does not require levels to be reached in others.

Originality/value

First research considering Triple-A SC capability deployment to better improve performance/CA focusing on model's predictive capability (essential for decision-making), further highlighting the lack of theory and contrasted models for Lee's Triple-A framework.

How enterprise interactions in innovation networks affect technological innovation performance: The role of technological innovation capacity and absorptive capacity

Current research on the impact of innovation networks focuses on the web and inter-organizational layers, with less consideration of individual behavior at the firm level. Interaction is an active action strategy that firms take when dealing with the external environment. Therefore, this study explores the mechanism of enterprise interaction on innovation development from the perspective of an innovation network. And measures enterprise interaction in three dimensions: affective interaction, resource interaction, and management interaction. The empirical results indicate that the three dimensions of enterprise interaction contribute significantly to technological innovation performance, and the realization of this role requires technological innovation capabilities (technological research and development capabilities, technological commercialization capabilities) to play a partially mediating role. The moderating effect of absorptive capacity between resource interaction, management interaction, and technological innovation capability is significant; however, the moderating effect between affective interaction and technological innovation capability is statistically insignificant. This study promotes the development of interaction theory to a certain extent, which helps enterprises build appropriate industrial chains in innovation networks and achieve rapid development.

University libraries innovation capability: A framework from Indonesia

Highlights – Innovation capability (IC) research by university libraries is lacking but provides a clear view of the current body of knowledge. – The themes underpinning innovation capability were explored while a novel framework was developed. – The IC could be established when libraries reflect organisational relevancy (OR) and librarians’ confidence (LC) moderated by relationship-based leadership (RL). – The IC potentially facilitates innovation performance (IP). – The RL is a unique variable that must be examined in the wider context. Given the current dynamism of university libraries as knowledge hubs through innovations and adaptations, this qualitative study incorporated the practices of developing innovation capabilities (IC) in libraries, particularly for Indonesian state-owned higher education institutions using grounded theory. In expanding the current body of literature on IC, this research highlighted non-profit stances and proposed a framework for the present context. As the first empirical work to map IC processes from university libraries, this study presented an in-depth view of their progress and a novel variable, relationship-based leadership (RL), for further examination. Notably, potential research topics were formulated for future works.

Firm Characteristics, Business Environment, Strategic Orientation, and Performance

The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the influence of firm characteristics (size, age, industry type, and ownership) on a firm’s strategic orientation. The business environment, namely market uncertainty and competition intensity, is also analysed in association with the firm’s strategic orientation. Furthermore, the implication of strategic orientation for performance is tested. The study used 1024 data sets of 128 manufacturing firms listed on the Indonesia stock exchange from 2014 to 2021. Data panel regression and independent t-tests were employed for statistical analysis. Adopting Miles and Snow’s strategy typology framework, the findings indicated that the firm size, industry type, and competition intensity significantly influence the firm’s strategic orientation. Small firms preferred to adopt a proactive strategic orientation (prospector and analyser). Firms in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry tended to adopt a proactive strategic orientation (prospector and analyser). Strategic orientation was found to positively and significantly influence firm performance. Firms that adopt a proactive strategic orientation (analyser and prospector) showed better performance than defensive ones (reactor and defender).

Responses to COVID-19, small and medium enterprises’ corporate social responsibility and psychological capital of employees: From the mediating perspective of affective commitment

The influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on employees' positive psychological capital in stressful situations remains unexplored in the literature for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to examine how CSR could assist employees in developing psychological capital during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to understand the aforesaid relationship, an attempt is made to study the mediation effect of affective commitment. Structural equation modelling (AMOS 21.0) was used for data analysis and hypothesis testing on a sample of 545 employees from 356 Malaysian SMEs. The results of this study showed that SMEs' CSR policies helped to improve the positive psychological capital of their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, affective commitment complementary mediates the relationship between CSR and psychological capital. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SMEs should come up with a consistent way to implement CSR policies and procedures to improve employees' psychological capital and increase their affective commitment toward the enterprise. There are two main contributions to the literature from this study, in addition to enriching previous empirical research on CSR. As a first contribution to the CSR literature, it examines how CSR impacts employees' psychological capital during a pandemic. COVID-19 is one of the recent pandemics that offers an opportunity to examine its effects on employee psychological state. Secondly, the results of the study add to the growing body of empirical research that supports affective commitment's significant relationship with CSR and enhances employees' psychological capital during a pandemic in a developing market.

South African consumerattitudesunderlyingthechoicetoconsumegamemeat

Currently little is known about the South African game meat consumer market or the underlying attributes driving the choice to consume game meat, limiting the game meat industry's market positioning, growth and ultimately its contribution to food security and economic growth. The study explored attitudes of 1081 consumers through an online survey and structural equation modelling, to determine which game meat attributes were the strongest predictors of the choice to consume game meat. Health benefits and production ethics have the strongest direct relationship with the choice to consume game meat. Availability indicated a moderate and price a weak direct relationship whereas safety had no significant relationship with the choice to consume game meat. Future game meat marketing campaigns may need to emphasise health benefits and production ethics of game meat to stimulate the consumer market in South Africa. The findings from this study will benefit the game meat industry and advance SDG 2 to improve food security and address zero hunger in South Africa. Implementing the recommendations from this study may change consumers' approach to game meat which will also bring about economic change in South Africa.