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1 – 10 of 290The primary purpose of this paper is to articulate the pivotal function of phenomenographic analysis in advancing the depth and breadth of insights into doctoral research in…
Abstract
Purpose
The primary purpose of this paper is to articulate the pivotal function of phenomenographic analysis in advancing the depth and breadth of insights into doctoral research in educational studies. By examining the distinctive contributions and advantages afforded by phenomenographic analysis, the paper aims to highlight its profound capability to reveal the intricacies and variegated dimensions of human experiences and perceptions. It advocates for the integration of phenomenographic analysis into social science research methodologies to foster a deeper, more nuanced appreciation of its utility and impact.
Design/methodology/approach
This article leverages empirical evidence from a specific educational research project to provide an in-depth examination of phenomenographic analysis. It meticulously outlines the procedural application of this methodological approach, showcasing how it enriches research outcomes by offering a profound exploration of the complex layers and subtle variations present within social phenomena. The study employs phenomenographic analysis to amplify the nuanced understanding and inherent value of research findings in educational studies.
Findings
The findings demonstrate that phenomenographic analysis significantly enriches research outcomes by offering a comprehensive exploration of complex social phenomena. The method’s capability to uncover the intricacies and variegated dimensions of human experiences and perceptions enhances the quality and relevance of research conducted within the domain. By providing empirical evidence and detailed procedural application, the paper illustrates how phenomenographic analysis contributes to the enrichment of academic discourse and elevates the caliber of research in the social sciences.
Originality/value
This article offers invaluable perspectives to both researchers and practitioners by providing a comprehensive analysis of phenomenographic methodology. It underscores the indispensable contribution of phenomenographic analysis in fostering a deeper understanding of educational research findings. The work advocates for its integration into social science research methodologies, highlighting its unique value in enhancing the quality and relevance of research. By illuminating the method’s profound capability to reveal complex human experiences, the paper significantly contributes to the enrichment of academic discourse in the social sciences.
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Lisha N.M. and Vijaya Kumar Avula Golla
The purpose of the study is to explore the three-dimensional heat and mass transport dynamics of the magneto-hydrodynamic non-Newtonian (Casson fluid) hybrid nanofluid flow…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to explore the three-dimensional heat and mass transport dynamics of the magneto-hydrodynamic non-Newtonian (Casson fluid) hybrid nanofluid flow comprised of − as nanoparticles suspended in base liquid water as it passes through a flexible spinning disc. The influence of a magnetic field, rotation parameter, porosity, Darcy−Forchheimer, Arrhenius’s activation energy, chemical reaction, Schmidt number and nanoparticle shape effects are substantial physical features of the investigation. Furthermore, the influence of hybrid nanofluid on Brownian motion and thermophoresis features has been represented using the Buongiorno model. The novelty of the work is intended to contribute to a better understanding of Casson non-Newtonian fluid boundary layer flow.
Design/methodology/approach
The governing mathematical equations that explain the flow and heat and mass transport phenomena for fluid domains include the Navier−Stokes equation, the thermal energy equation and the solutal concentration equations. The governing equations are expressed as partial differential equations, which are then converted into a suitable set of non-linear ordinary differential equations by using the necessary similarity variables. The ordinary differential equations are computed by combining the shooting operation with the three-stage Lobatto BVP4c technique.
Findings
Graphs and tables are used in the process of analysing the characteristics of velocity distributions, temperature profiles and solutal curves at varying values of the parameters, along with friction drag, heat transfer rate and Sherwood number. It has been revealed that the radial and axial velocities decrease when the Casson parameter value increases and that the rate of heat transmission is higher in hybrid nanofluids with nanoparticles in the shape of a blade. The increase in Brownian motion and thermophoresis parameters causes a rise in the temperature profile. Also, an increase in the activation energy parameter improves the solutal curve. The use of nanoparticles was shown to improve extrusion properties, the rotary heat process and biofuel generation.
Originality/value
All results are presented graphically and all physical quantities are computed and tabulated. The current results are compared to previous investigations and found to agree significantly with them.
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This study explores the effects of relative size on target executive turnover, and how acquiring managers can promote the retention of key employees through procedural justice…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the effects of relative size on target executive turnover, and how acquiring managers can promote the retention of key employees through procedural justice, informational justice and corporate commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
Multiple regression analysis is used to analyze relationships across 113 domestic acquisitions from 2008 to 2014 using both primary and secondary data.
Findings
Results indicate that target executives are more likely to depart the combined firm in deals of greater relative size, but that acquiring executives can initiate actions to minimize turnover. Results show that acquiring executives that demonstrate procedural justice and informational justice can minimize turnover in deals of larger relative size while acquiring executives that demonstrate corporate commitment to the acquisition can minimize turnover regardless of firm size.
Originality/value
Literature on target executive turnover currently examines why such turnover occurs and the consequences of turnover. Building upon the theory of relative standing, this study provides evidence that target executive turnover is increased in deals of larger relative size, but that acquiring managers can initiate actions to prevent such turnover. Specifically, procedural justice, informational justice and corporate commitment during integration are found to have minimizing effects on target executive turnover.
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Richard Croucher, Myint Moe Chit, Ellis Osabutey and Marian Rizov
The paper investigates factors that contribute to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) surviving major exogenous shocks. Global crises such as the coronavirus disease 2019…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper investigates factors that contribute to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) surviving major exogenous shocks. Global crises such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have increasingly heightened scholarly interest in post-crises responses. However, studies that compare the relative responses to external shocks and the outcomes for SMEs operating in different institutional settings are limited. We examine the relative degrees of success European and African SMEs experienced in avoiding the worst consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
We use the resource dependency theory (RDT) with variants of institutional theory since the RDT has been shown in practice to have greater explanatory power when used in this way. We augment our framework with a feminist theory dimension. To test our hypotheses, we apply regression analyses using cross-sectional data from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys (WBES), which include responses from private enterprises in 26 European and eight African countries. We construct our data by combining the COVID-19 follow-up surveys with relevant firm-specific characteristics from the WBES conducted in 2020–2021 using firm-specific unique IDs. After removing the firms with missing observations, the sample number of SMEs is 15,178.
Findings
Our empirical findings support the theoretically posited positive effects of innovativeness, institutional connectedness and governance capability on SMEs’ survival in the face of external shocks. Further, we confirm the importance of firm-specific characteristics (financial status, size and age) for SMEs’ survival. Female-owned SMEs are more likely to suffer during COVID-19, especially in Africa. The results are more nuanced when we consider industry specificity and heterogeneity of government support.
Originality/value
Our article helps answer the theoretical (and policy-relevant) question of whether SMEs that are resilient to major exogenous shocks may share certain characteristics despite operating in different institutional environments. If that is so, then it may be that lessons from one continent may have at least some relevance for the other. Our approach’s broad value lies in its capacity to test the degree to which established bodies of theory developed in the Northern Hemisphere may be deployed in Africa, well beyond the contexts which provided their initial empirical basis. This paper also contributes to the literature on the effect of environmental-change shocks on entrepreneurship performance outcomes.
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Madiha Ajmal, Rashid Mehmood, Noreen Sher Akbar and Taseer Muhammad
This study aims to focuse on the flow behavior of a specific nanofluid composed of blood-based iron oxide nanoparticles, combined with motile gyrotactic microorganisms, in a…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to focuse on the flow behavior of a specific nanofluid composed of blood-based iron oxide nanoparticles, combined with motile gyrotactic microorganisms, in a ciliated channel with electroosmosis.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applies a powerful mathematical model to examine the combined impacts of bio convection and electrokinetic forces on nanofluid flow. The presence of cilia, which are described as wave-like motions on the channel walls, promotes fluid propulsion, which improves mixing and mass transport. The velocity and dispersion of nanoparticles and microbes are modified by the inclusion of electroosmosis, which is stimulated by an applied electric field. This adds a significant level of complexity.
Findings
To ascertain their impact on flow characteristics, important factors such as bio convection Rayleigh number, Grashoff number, Peclet number and Lewis number are varied. The results demonstrate that while the gyrotactic activity of microorganisms contributes to the stability and homogeneity of the nanofluid distribution, electroosmotic forces significantly enhance fluid mixing and nanoparticle dispersion. This thorough study clarifies how to take advantage of electroosmosis and bio convection in ciliated micro channels to optimize nanofluid-based biomedical applications, such as targeted drug administration and improved diagnostic processes.
Originality/value
First paper discussed “Numerical Computation of Cilia Transport of Prandtl Nanofluid (Blood-Fe3O4) Enhancing Convective Heat Transfer along Micro Organisms under Electroosmotic effects in Wavy Capillaries”.
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Junjie Wan and Raphael Baumler
This study classifies and estimates safety costs in Arctic shipping.
Abstract
Purpose
This study classifies and estimates safety costs in Arctic shipping.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the literature review, the paper details shipping prevention costs into five categories (infrastructure and facilities, measures, technologies, personnel and management) and groups marine accidents into injury and death, property damage, environmental damage and others.
Findings
The proposed classification and estimation allow for a comparison of prevention costs and accident expenses. Estimating safety expenses in the Arctic presents challenges, such as data inadequacies. However, the method has been tested with data provided by an Arctic ship operator.
Practical implications
Thus, shipping companies can verify the effectiveness of their investments and reorientate whenever necessary, becoming a decision-support system to best allocate safety investments. Combined with company safety performance, the tool can help identify the safety areas requiring enhanced attention.
Originality/value
This paper presents the first classification and a tool to assess safety costs in relation to Arctic shipping, potentially supporting safety investment decisions.
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Prior research on user-generated content (UGC) contributions has primarily focused on self-centered or other-centered motives, paying limited attention to the concept of…
Abstract
Purpose
Prior research on user-generated content (UGC) contributions has primarily focused on self-centered or other-centered motives, paying limited attention to the concept of enlightened self-interest, in which both motives coexist in a single organism. Additionally, the factors influencing enlightened self-interest and their effects in different circumstances are yet to be explored. Drawing on theoretical lenses rooted in the switching barriers perspective and stimulus–organism–response framework, this study posits that dedication-based switching barriers (community–member relationship quality, member–member relationship quality, and content attractiveness) positively relate to enlightened self-interest, whereas constraint-based switching barriers (switching costs) moderate the relationship between dedication-based switching barriers and enlightened self-interest in social media communities (SMCs). Members' enlightened self-interest in turn influences both the creation and co-creation of UGC.
Design/methodology/approach
This study comprised two quantitative studies: an online survey-based study (Study 1) and an online scenario-based experiment (Study 2). Study 1 surveyed 613 respondents, while Study 2 included 749 participants. Both studies employed structural equation modeling and bootstrapping techniques for analysis.
Findings
The findings indicate that dedication-based switching barriers positively affect users' enlightened self-interest, which in turn is positively associated with UGC creation and co-creation. Switching costs moderate the relationship between relationship quality (community–member and member–member) and enlightened self-interest.
Originality/value
This study complements the current understanding of how the association between dedication- and constraint-based switching barriers and users' enlightened self-interests influence user-generated contributions.
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This study aims to examine the attitudes of the Kuwaiti public towards governmental campaigns on social media (GCSM) regarding the country’s Vision 2035. Specifically, it…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the attitudes of the Kuwaiti public towards governmental campaigns on social media (GCSM) regarding the country’s Vision 2035. Specifically, it investigates the effect of GCSM on three attitudinal dimensions (i.e. cognitive, emotional and behavioural).
Design/methodology/approach
This study is designed using random sampling. Responses from 630 social media users were obtained using a survey questionnaire (Appendix). The results of data analysis indicate that GCSM had a positive impact on the attitudes of participants towards Vision 2035.
Findings
Based on the findings, recommendations are outlined to increase the efficiency of GCSM. This study is unique because no other study has examined the attitudes of Kuwaiti citizens towards GCSM or investigated the effects of these campaigns on citizens’ attitudes in terms of cognitive, emotional and behavioural components. The results can assist decision makers in identifying the effectiveness of such campaigns and taking measures accordingly.
Originality/value
This research provides a new evaluation of the role of virtual campaigns in Kuwait. It highlights the crucial and increasing role of virtual campaigns on citizens’ attitudes Towards Kuwait’s Vision 2035, and it found that virtual campaigns should be used as an addendum to conventional political campaigns in Kuwait.
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Neji Al-Eid Omri, Nizar Neffati and Hassan Guenichi
The relationship between leverage and firm performance has been a subject of great interest to researchers, but the empirical findings are, at best, mixed. Against this…
Abstract
Purpose
The relationship between leverage and firm performance has been a subject of great interest to researchers, but the empirical findings are, at best, mixed. Against this background, we attempt to investigate this controversial issue by hypothesizing the nonlinearity of this relationship. Specifically, we aim to determine whether there exists an optimal threshold of firm size above which increasing levels of debt stop undermining (or start enhancing) firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Our study uses a nonlinear modeling specification, that is, the Panel Smooth Transition Regression (PSTR) model proposed by González et al. (2005). This model is a fixed-effects panel that accounts for cross-country heterogeneity and time variability, while also allowing for smooth transitions between a limited number of “extreme regimes.”
Findings
The study reveals a statistically significant negative relationship between leverage and firm performance for firms below size thresholds. But after exceeding these thresholds, firms can experience a substantial increase in accounting and financial performance.
Originality/value
The authors offer novel insights into the contingent role played by firm size on the capital structure–performance nexus. To our knowledge, few studies have delved into the threshold effects of leverage on firm performance. The threshold firm size level can be considered, therefore, as a benchmark for firms in optimizing their capital structure. From this perspective, small-sized firms are invited to prioritize internal financing to avoid the detrimental impact of depts on their performance. However, large-sized firms may find it advantageous to leverage external financing through debt in order to potentially enhance their performance.
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Elisa Garrido-Castro, Francisco-José Torres-Peña, Eva-María Murgado-Armenteros and Francisco Jose Torres-Ruiz
The purpose of this study is to critically review consumer knowledge in marketing and propose a future research agenda. Despite the many works that have examined this variable…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to critically review consumer knowledge in marketing and propose a future research agenda. Despite the many works that have examined this variable, given its strong influence on behaviour, it has generally been studied in association with other constructs, and no studies have focused on it in a specific way. Its definition, measurement and approaches to its role and usefulness are superficial and underdeveloped. After structuring and analysing the existing literature, the authors establish, (I) which aspects are of little use to the discipline, and (II) which research lines have the most potential and should be developed and studied in greater depth, to advance and complete the existing consumer knowledge framework.
Design/methodology/approach
A search was undertaken for documents in the main databases in which the term “consumer knowledge” appears in a marketing or consumer context, and a critical and reflexive approach was taken to analyse the main contributions and to structure them by content blocks.
Findings
Five main content blocks were identified. A set of research gaps were detected, mainly related to the lax conceptualisation of the topic, measurement problems and the scarcity of more useful works connected with business management, and several research lines are proposed that complement the existing framework to make it more complete and operational.
Originality/value
This paper offers a critical review and proposes a research agenda for one of the most used but little studied variables in the field of marketing, which may help academics and professionals in the discipline to continue developing useful theories and models.
Objetivo
El objetivo de este trabajo es revisar críticamente el conocimiento del consumidor en marketing y proponer una agenda de investigación futura. A pesar de los numerosos trabajos que han examinado esta variable, dada su fuerte influencia en el comportamiento, generalmente se ha estudiado en asociación con otros constructos, y ningún estudio se ha centrado en ella de manera específica. Su definición, medición y aproximaciones sobre su papel y utilidad son superficiales y poco desarrollados. Después de estructurar y analizar la literatura existente, establecemos (I) qué aspectos tienen poco uso para la disciplina y (II) qué líneas de investigación tienen más potencial y deben ser desarrolladas y estudiadas con mayor profundidad; para avanzar y completar el marco existente sobre conocimiento del consumidor.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Se realizó una búsqueda de documentos en las principales bases de datos en las que aparece el término “conocimiento del consumidor” en un contexto de marketing o consumo, y se adoptó un enfoque crítico y reflexivo para analizar las principales contribuciones y estructurarlas por bloques de contenido.
Resultados
Se identificaron cinco bloques principales de contenido. Se detectó un conjunto de huecos de investigación, principalmente relacionados con la laxa conceptualización del tema, problemas de medición y la escasez de trabajos más útiles conectados con la gestión empresarial; y se proponen varias líneas de investigación que complementan el marco existente para hacerlo más completo y operativo.
Originalidad
Este documento ofrece una revisión crítica y propone una agenda de investigación para una de las variables más utilizadas pero poco estudiadas en el campo del marketing, lo que puede ayudar a académicos y profesionales en la disciplina a continuar desarrollando teorías y modelos útiles.
目的
本文旨在对市场营销中的消费者知识进行批判性审视, 并提出未来的研究议程。虽然已有许多研究检验了该变量, 但由于其对行为产生强大影响, 通常会与其他结构变量一起研究, 而没有以特定方式专注于该变量。对其定义、测量以及其作用和用途的方法仍旧存在研究空白。通过对现有文献进行结构化分析后, 确定了以下两个方面:(I)哪些方面对该学科意义不大, (II)哪些研究方向最具研究潜力, 并且应该进一步深入发展和研究, 以推进和完善现有的消费者知识框架。
设计/方法/途径
通过主要数据库检索市场营销或消费者背景下涉及“消费者知识”一词的文献, 采取批判性和反思性方法来分析其主要贡献, 并通过内容块对其进行结构化。
发现
识别了五个主要内容块, 并发现存在一定程度的研究空白, 主要涉及该主题的概念松散化、测量问题以及与商业管理相关的有效研究的稀缺性。此外, 本文提出了几个研究线索, 这些线索为现有框架补充了信息, 使其更加完整且具备更强的操作性。
独创性
本文对市场营销领域中广泛使用但研究较少的变量进行了批判性评述, 并提出了相关研究议程。这一工作有助于学术界和专业人士继续发展实用的理论和模型。
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