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This paper aims to examine the effects of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on accounting conservatism in Korean firms. An increase in EPU could widen information asymmetry between insiders and outsiders, to the detriment of a firm’s investment decisions, stock price and cost of capital. This paper hypothesizes that Korean firms are likely to decrease accounting conservatism during high EPU due to inefficient institutional structure and weak corporate governance, together with the vulnerability of the Korean economy to exogenous shocks.

This study measures a firm’s level of conservatism using three accrual-based models proposed by Ball and Shivakumar (2006): 1) the cash flow model (CF model), 2) the Dechow and Dichev model (DD model) and 3) the Jones model. As a robustness test, this paper uses C-score model as an alternative measure of accounting conservatism. The data set used in this study is a total of 23,109 firm-year observations during the sample period from 2000 to 2018.

The test results show that an increase in EPU adversely affects Korean firms’ accounting conservatism, and that this adverse impact is more pronounced in financially distressed and non-manufacturing firms. This study’s findings highlight the importance of institutional structure during a period of high EPU, which can create incentives for either improving or deteriorating reporting quality.

This study adds new evidence to extant literature on the effects of EPU on managers’ choice of accounting policies and demonstrates that managers in emerging markets may have different incentives to cope with country-specific EPU fluctuations.

This study aims to develop and validate a scale to measure Teacher Entrepreneurial Behavior (TEB), which encapsulates the behaviors teachers employ to identify and amplify innovation in schools. TEB are catalysts for innovation, navigating their peers through risks and building trust, which empowers the collective to transcend structural constraints and pioneer new educational initiatives. Despite the importance of TEB, there is a notable absence of a well-validated measurement instrument.

Drawing on existing empirical TEB studies, this study conducts four interconnected studies following scale-development procedures. The content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and external validity of the proposed scale were assessed using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, invariance analysis, and regression analysis.

The result is a multidimensional TEB model featuring 15 items with a good model fit. The TEB scale comprises four factors: Advocating Innovation, Seeking Resources, Cultivating Cohesiveness, and Mitigating Risk.

This study represents a rigorous attempt to develop and validate a reliable instrument for measuring TEB. It provides a validated tool for future research aimed at understanding the nature of TEB as an independent construct and associated dynamics. Accurate measurement is important for the robustness and replicability of research. Furthermore, the insights gained on TEB scale can significantly inform both the preparation and evaluation of teacher leaders by emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurial behaviors in promoting teachers’ collaboration and actualizing innovative initiative.

Framed by social cognition theory, this study examines the impact of environmental factors (e.g. social norms) on students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ES) and entrepreneurial intention (EI).

We obtained responses to a survey from 811 senior secondary students in Hong Kong. We then employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed hypothesis. We removed non-significant parameters in testing the model and obtained the final SEM.

Among these students, those who were male or spoke English at home showed stronger social norms of entrepreneurship and greater entrepreneurial SE, which was linked to greater EI. Among students perceiving stronger social norms of entrepreneurship, those who lived in private housing or spoke English at school showed greater entrepreneurial intention.

The study provides a new social cognitive perspective for examining EI that emphasizes learning and development through the interaction of environmental and cognitive factors. It supplements previous research by demonstrating the significant influence of social norms and the conditional role of parental influence, adding complexity to our understanding of how these factors' interplay.

Given the growing use of virtual reality (VR) technology in marketing, our research focuses on the development trajectory of research in the marketing field from 2012 to 2022 to identify essential phases and sub-trends within this topic.

This study employs a main path analysis (MPA) methodology to analyze academic articles related to VR in marketing from the Web of Science database.

The research on VR in marketing has experienced significant growth over the past 10 years and is projected to continue thriving in the future. During the past decade, research in this field has transitioned from exploring VR affordances in marketing to realizing the potential of VR in marketing. From the information systems perspective, the three primary research trends that have garnered the most attention from researchers are VR technology as an artifact, marketers’ motivational approach and consumers’ motivational approach. With the continual advancement of VR technology, the research trend of Metaverse marketing will gradually displace VR in marketing.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research using MPA to explore the development trajectory of VR in marketing and provide a comprehensive picture of it under the Affordance-Actualization theory.

This study aims to discover factors and configurations that influence customers’ acceptance behaviors to investigate the current hospitality industry using service robots.

A mix of symmetrical and asymmetrical modeling methods was used for the data analysis. The symmetrical modeling was used to find the net effects, whereas asymmetrical modeling was adopted to find the combined configurations for hotel guests’ robot service acceptance behaviors.

The results revealed the significant effect of innovativeness, willingness to be a lighthouse customer, personal norms and concern about service robot performance on acceptance behaviors. In addition, the complex solution models using characteristics of tech-forward consumers, norms and attitude and uncertainty and concern were found.

The study shows directions to hotel marketers, to help them make customers adopt service robots.

The study explored customer service robot acceptance behaviors based on comprehensive theoretical backgrounds, including the technology acceptance model, theory of planned behavior, norm activation model and service robot acceptance model.

This study aims to (1) develop a structural equation model in understanding the relationships between corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance and contractor competitiveness and (2) test the moderating effect of firm sizes on this relationship.

A literature review showed an urgent need to investigate the relationship between CSR implementation and contractor competitiveness holistically. CSR and contractor competitiveness variables were identified through the literature review and discussions with experienced professionals. Using a survey questionnaire, a total of 252 completed questionnaires were received. A structural equation modeling technique was then applied to analyze the data collected. Multigroup analysis was employed to test the moderating effect of firm sizes on the relationship between CSR implementation and contractor competitiveness.

The results indicated a strong relationship between CSR implementation and contractor competitiveness. This relationship is not moderated by firm size.

This research is one of the first studies to holistically explore the linkages between CSR implementation and contractor competitiveness. The findings can be served as a solid foundation to promote CSR performance in construction firms. Contractors of different sizes are suggested to implement CSR activities to foster competitiveness.

This chapter discusses how the real options theory can be useful for understanding the adoption of human resources management (HRM) practices. The authors review how the real options theory has provided insights into the processes through which firms manage uncertainties involved in the adoption of HRM practices. The authors offer propositions for future HRM research from the real options perspective. The authors contend that analyzing HRM practice adoptions through the lens of real options theory can enhance our understanding of the mechanisms through which firms choose which HRM practices to adopt and how they adjust the timing, scale, and methods of investment in these practices. Specifically, the authors suggest that differences in information relevant to valuation of HRM options are the source of distinct choices of HRM options across firms. Finally, the authors propose advancing knowledge on HRM practice adoptions by using a portfolio of options approach, as well as considering factors like competitors, path dependence, and switching options.

This study addresses a gap in the knowledge on how longitudinal engagement in a school improvement initiative influences change in middle leaders’ (MLs') interactions and assesses how school–university partnerships around school improvement can support teachers with formal leadership roles (i.e. MLs’) leadership development.

Using a two-year longitudinal research design, university staff facilitated middle leadership training in a school-defined improvement initiative on lesson study. Results from a pre-test followed by two post-tests administered at one-year intervals were collected on social networks. Analyses examined changes in indegree and brokerage patterns among groupings of senior leaders (SL), subject leaders, cross-school specialists and teachers.

Accounting for staffing changes, 27 of 67 staff members participated in each survey, yielding 1,623 distinct ties connecting school members. Over the first year, advice-seeking increased by 225%. SLs’ initial propensity to consult peers shifted towards MLs and teachers. Subject leaders advising other leaders and teachers increased tenfold. Teachers’ peer-to-peer consultation increased by 2,000%. Specialists with school-wide responsibilities became the dominant group for advising other leaders, such as SLs and subject leaders. These shifts were sustained over the second year.

The study demonstrates that engagement in the school–university partnership support and the corresponding structural changes stimulated robust cross-school dialogue among teachers and various leaders. Brokerage patterns indicated an enhanced role for MLs in driving the school-defined improvement initiative which corresponded to university-designed development activities.