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The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which the nexus between foreign bank presence (FBP) and inclusive growth is being impacted by the financial development.

The study used a two-stage system generalized method of moment (GMM), using 28 African countries from the period 2000 to 2018.

The study found a positive effect of FBP on inclusive growth. While financial development magnifies the positive effect of FBP, inclusive growth nexus, it has a direct effect on inclusive growth.

For Africa to ascertain the positive effect of FBP on inclusive growth, financial system must be developed to reduce the cream-skim behavior of foreign banks.

This paper assess the extent to which developing economy's developed financial system form synergies with FBP to further enhance the inclusiveness of growth.

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.

Governmental regulations aiming to protect environmental goals often require firms to increase sales prices with negative consequences on price fairness perception. Companies might therefore either justify the price increase by highlighting the good cause (environmental framing) or they could blame the government for the regulation (governmental framing). Firms might also communicate their investments in the relationship to motivate customers to stay. This paper aims to examine the impact of such communication content on price increase fairness perception and switching intention in a contractual service setting.

This paper first examines the content of 119 price increase letters from electricity suppliers in a qualitative pilot study. The main study then tests our research framework with 552 respondents using a 2 x 2 x 2 between-subjects experimental scenario design (manipulating framing, effort and regret communication).

Customers perceive governmental framing as fairer than environmental framing. Effort and regret communication by firms weaken or reverse this effect. They reduce customers’ fairness perception for the governmental framing, while regret communication increases it for the environmental framing. However, regret communication also increases switching intention in both framings through a strong direct effect.

Cost-induced price increases are perceived on a “locus continuum” on which reason-framing and relationship investments can shift the consumer perception. Future studies may apply our framework in different industries and contexts.

The results provide guidelines for communicating price increases. Firms should prefer a governmental framing and they should also hesitate to communicate relationship investments, which signal internal locus of the firm, such as effort or regret.

Our results question the naive assumption of general positive effects of environmental framings and relationship investments on customer responses. Based on a new view on attributions of cost-caused price increases, we suggest and find several counterintuitive results. We argue that the framing and relationship investments shift the cause perception of an external cost increase on the attributional locus continuum.

The paper aims to contribute to the advancement of the debate on digital innovation and entrepreneurship from a cross-generational perspective in the context of family businesses. Specifically, the paper explores the contribution provided by the young generations of entrepreneurs to the digital transformation and resilience of family businesses during the pandemic emergence of COVID-19. Focusing on the need for a major understanding of digital resilience in the context of family businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises, the paper aims to provide theoretical and empirical contributions in replying to the following research question: How did young entrepreneurs contribute to the resilience and the digital transformation of their family businesses during COVID-19?

The methodology consisted of a two-stage qualitative investigation including a focus group managed in presence with the involvement of 24 young entrepreneurs and a self-administered online survey involving the family businesses belonging to the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria Puglia (South Italy) that has allowed to collect 47 replies, with a 32% response rate.

The paper presents evidence about the resilience of family businesses during the COVID-19 supported by the disruptive role of emerging digital technologies. Our analysis demonstrates that young entrepreneurs adopted different patterns of digital transformations, depending on the firm’s industry and the family firm’s digital maturity. Digital resilience in the context of the observed family businesses produced different benefits in terms of competitiveness, effectiveness of decision-making, visibility and communication and new opportunities for value creation; it occurred in several business areas, including production, logistics, sales and human resources management.

The study highlights the relevant role that younger generations can play in exploring innovation opportunities associated with digitalisation as well as in contributing to reinforce innovation and resilience capability of their family businesses through collaboration with external stakeholders and ecosystems.

The value of the research consists in the attempt to analyse the meaning and implication of digital innovation in the context of family business as a driver for their resilience capability. The Family Businesses Digital Readiness and Young Entrepreneurs Contributions Matrix presented into the study as an original contribution of synthesis of the evidence collected.

In our chapter, we want to point out the long-term ethical implications of the concept of space exploration and exploitation, which are usually overlooked today. Future space exploration and exploitation is assumed today as a certain part of human development and includes space tourism, scientific missions, space mining, as well as, in the further future, permanent settlement. But will not such long-term space exploration require the application of extraordinary solutions? In our chapter, we want to analyze this question with regard to the possible obligation or requirement to apply radical human enhancement. Among other things, we want to refer to the feminist perspective and also pay attention to issues such as exclusion and power structures. After all, it is impossible not to analyze the future of human beings in space without drawing attention to current capitalist exploitation of a global nature. We also point out that certain groups such as workers, women, and people with disabilities will be particularly vulnerable to exploitation and exclusion in space, and that human enhancement may negatively affect their social standing and empowerment.

This chapter explores the profound influence of culture on learning, illustrating how cultural beliefs, customs, and practices shape perceptions, behaviors, and educational outcomes. It delves into the complexity of culture within organizations, emphasizing its role in fostering a collective space for learning and experimentation. Highlighting the significance of cultural diversity in educational settings, the text discusses challenges and opportunities for inclusivity and understanding.

Mukbang is a live-streaming format where hosts, often referred to as broadcast jockeys (BJs) or streamers, eat copious amounts of food while engaging with their audience through commentary and reactions. This unique cultural phenomenon has sparked curiosity and diverse reactions globally. Mukbang’s popularity highlights the transformative power of digital platforms on traditional media and society, facilitating a shift toward more interactive and participatory forms of media consumption. This conceptual paper explores Mukbang’s widespread allure through frameworks such as the long tail theory, which illuminates the success of niche markets; parasocial relationship theory, which sheds light on viewers' bonds with streamers and social identity theory, which explains audience loyalty. We also forecast the implications of these streaming trends on the television, retail and sports industries, predicting a broad impact on traditional consumption and engagement models.

This study employs various theories, including the long tail concept, parasocial interactions and social identity theory, to describe and analyze the perplexing yet significant phenomenon of Mukbang.

Digital technology has transformed business models across various media industries, similar to how iTunes and the MP3 format revolutionized traditional music labels. This study suggests that streaming platforms, with their ability to cater to diverse needs and facilitate two-way communication, have the potential to disrupt traditional entertainment and retail industries.

This study addresses the gap in understanding how and why streaming platforms like AfreecaTV, Twitch and Huya can disrupt the traditional TV and entertainment industries. It highlights key elements that enable users to become prosumers, broadcasting content such as Mukbang. These platforms outperform traditional entertainment with numerous channels, ease of access, live chat sessions and digital rewards. The ability to build intimate relationships with viewers through two-way communication strengthens parasocial relationships, fostering emotional connections with streamers. Additionally, live chats with other viewers create a sense of belonging and social identity, helping viewers reduce uncertainty and enhance self-esteem.

Organizations are increasingly joining inter-organizational networks to foster sustainable employability for their employees. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors and mechanisms central to their success as experienced by key stakeholders.

An explorative, qualitative approach was adopted, using four focus groups with network coordinators (N = 18) and HR professionals (N = 14). Fourteen Dutch inter-organizational networks were represented. Respondents were recruited through purposive and snowballing sampling techniques. Thematic analysis was applied using open coding to generate themes.

The results of this study outline environmental, structural, and inter-personal factors and mechanisms that contribute to the success of inter-organizational networks that aim to foster sustainable employability for their employees. The environmental factors and mechanisms consist of challenges stemming from the labor market. The structural factors and mechanisms include: a network’s flat structure, flat fee, lack of informal rules, the allocation of roles and expectations for stakeholders and shared network activities. Lastly, the inter-personal factors and mechanisms are: communication among stakeholders, establishing reciprocity, interaction and collaboration between stakeholders, the valuation of trust, a convivial culture and shared vision among stakeholders. The dynamics between these factors and mechanisms are compared to other forms of inter-organizational networks. Furthermore, several recommendations for network coordinators and practitioners regarding the development of networks are presented.

This study provides insights into the factors and mechanisms that are regarded by stakeholders as influencing the success of inter-organizational networks in their ability to foster sustainable employability for workers. We have identified a unique model that captures this new way of inter-organizational collaboration and builds on insights from literature on collaborative governance regimes, institutional fields and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Specifically, the model provides a framework that consists of environmental, structural and interpersonal factors and mechanisms for network success. This study increases our understanding of how collaborative efforts can be fostered beyond organizational boundaries and existing Human Resource Management practices.

Building on Stimulus-Organism-Response theory, the current study examines the influence of pickup service quality in buy-online pickup in-store service (BOPIS) on users' perceived relationship investment with the mediating role of users' perceived experience quality and relationship proneness. This research also demonstrates the subsequent impact of BOPIS users' perceived relationship investment on their relationship performance indicators, like their cross-buying behaviors (breadth), frequency of their purchase (depth) and longevity of their relationship (length) with the store. The moderating role of BOPIS users' service experience consciousness in a few proposed relationships was tested.

The research is descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional investigation. The study employed a purposive sampling technique. It was conducted using data collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire from 786 Indian omnichannel shoppers who have used BOPIS services in the past. The proposed conceptual model was tested using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling.

The results indicate that BOPIS users' perceived experience quality and relationship proneness positively mediate pickup service quality and perceived relationship investment. The users' perceived relationship investment subsequently significantly positively impacts different dimensions of their relationship performance with the store (breadth, depth and length). Additionally, BOPIS users' service experience consciousness has a significant negative moderating effect on the direct relationship between pickup service quality and different dimensions of relationship performance.

The study is conducted in the Indian population, where omnichannel retailing is still nascent.

This study addresses the need to investigate the relationship performance indicators of BOPIS users, like their cross-buying behaviors(breadth), frequency of their purchase(depth) and longevity of their relationship(length) with the store. This study is the first to show that pickup service quality might explain the relationship performance of BOPIS users through their perceived experience quality, relationship proneness and relationship investments. The moderating role of BOPIS users' service experience consciousness in a few proposed relationships was also tested for the first time.

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.

Multiple regression analysis is used to analyze relationships across 113 domestic acquisitions from 2008 to 2014 using both primary and secondary data.

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.

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.