Iain Munro, Mehdi Boussebaa and Carl Rhodes
This viewpoint aims to contribute to understanding corporate power in two key respects. First, it provides insight into the ways in which transnational corporations continue to…
Abstract
Purpose
This viewpoint aims to contribute to understanding corporate power in two key respects. First, it provides insight into the ways in which transnational corporations continue to operate as vehicles for neo-colonial projects, which are underpinned by exploitation and racial hierarchies. Second, it highlights the significance of investigative journalism in providing a crucial empirical resource for both activists engaged in holding power to account and scholars engaged in critical research into corporate power and civil society activism.
Design/methodology/approach
This viewpoint combines an interview with an investigative journalist and the academic commentary provided by the authors in response to the interview.
Findings
This viewpoint highlights contemporary mutations in the concentration of corporate power, along three broad themes: the growth of transnational institutions critical to enabling and supporting abuses of transnational corporate power and neo-colonialism; the emergence of corporate-run political territories secured by private security organisations; and the corporate attack on progressive politics. It also analyses the important role of investigative journalism in advancing knowledge of transnational corporate power as well as its role in holding such power to account and the urgent need for new forms of independent journalism to support union activism, whistleblowing and other forms of democratic activism.
Research limitations/implications
This viewpoint engages with an alternative tradition of social critique and the critique of corporate power, which has been underrepresented in the field of international business.
Practical implications
This study highlights the significance of investigative journalism in providing a crucial empirical resource for both activists engaged in holding power to account and scholars engaged in critical research into corporate power and civil society activism.
Social implications
These implications entail developing a critique of transnational corporate power and neo-colonialism, enriching democtratic oversight and journalism, and supporting freedom of expression and democratic activism.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, minimal research has explored the critical role of investigative journalism in uncovering and holding transnational corporate power accountable. This paper therefore offers a highly original contribution by addressing this significant yet underexamined area.
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Erik Cateriano-Arévalo, Jorge Soria Gonzáles (Pene Beso), Richard Soria Gonzales (Xawan Nita), Néstor Paiva Pinedo (Sanken Bea), Ross Gordon, Maria Amalia Pesantes and Lisa Schuster
Respectful co-production is one of the principles of ethical Indigenous research. However, this participatory approach has yet to be thoroughly discussed in social marketing. This…
Abstract
Purpose
Respectful co-production is one of the principles of ethical Indigenous research. However, this participatory approach has yet to be thoroughly discussed in social marketing. This study aims to provide reflections and recommendations for respectful co-production of research with Indigenous people in social marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
This study draws upon case study reflections and lessons learned from a research program respectfully co-produced with members of the Shipibo-Konibo Indigenous group of the Peruvian Amazon called the Comando Matico. The authors focus on the challenges and strategies for respectful co-production during different stages of the research process, including consultation, fieldwork and co-authoring articles. The authors foreground how their Comando Matico co researchers infused the research process with Shipibo knowledge.
Findings
The authors reflect on three recommendations concerning 1) respectful co-production, 2) power dynamics and 3) facilitating co-authorship. Social marketers interested in respectful co production of research with Indigenous people may need to adopt a flexible and practical approach that considers the characteristics of the context and Indigenous co-researchers.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the discussion about the importance of respectful co-production of research with Indigenous people to ensure it accounts for their needs and wants.
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Richard W. Puyt, Finn Birger Lie and Dag Øivind Madsen
The purpose of this study is to revisit the conventional wisdom about a key contribution [i.e. strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis] in the field of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to revisit the conventional wisdom about a key contribution [i.e. strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis] in the field of strategic management. The societal context and the role of academics, consultants and executives is taken into account in the emergence of SWOT analysis during the 1960–1980 period as a pivotal development within the broader context of the satisfactory, opportunities, faults, threats (SOFT) approach. The authors report on both the content and the approach, so that other scholars seeking to invigorate indigenous theories and/or underreported strategy practices will thrive.
Design/methodology/approach
Applying a historiographic approach, the authors introduce an evidence-based methodology for interpreting historical sources. This methodology incorporates source criticism, triangulation and hermeneutical interpretation, drawing upon insights from robust evidence through three iterative stages.
Findings
The underreporting of the SOFT approach/SWOT analysis can be attributed to several factors, including strategy tools being integrated into planning frameworks rather than being published as standalone materials; restricted circulation of crucial long-range planning service/theory and practice of planning reports due to copyright limitations; restricted access to the Stanford Research Institute Planning Library in California; and the enduring popularity of SOFT and SWOT variations, driven in part by their memorable acronyms.
Originality
In the spirit of a renaissance in strategic planning research, the authors unveil novel theoretical and social connections in the emergence of SWOT analysis by combining evidence from both theory and practice and delving into previously unexplored areas.
Research implications
Caution is advised for scholars who examine the discrete time frame of 1960–1980 through mere bibliometric techniques. This study underscores the risks associated with gathering incomplete and/or inaccurate data, emphasizing the importance of triangulating evidence beyond scholarly databases. The paradigm shift of strategic management research due to the advent of large language models poses new challenges and the risk of conserving and perpetuating academic urban legends, myths and lies if training data is not adequately curated.
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Bolanle Oyindamola Adebayo and Hannah M. Sunderman
To maximize the benefits of intercultural mentoring relationships, which are increasing in today’s diverse higher education environment, the current article conceptualizes the…
Abstract
Purpose
To maximize the benefits of intercultural mentoring relationships, which are increasing in today’s diverse higher education environment, the current article conceptualizes the connection between intercultural mentoring and cultural competence among mentors and mentees as a learning process.
Design/methodology/approach
The conceptual paper discusses the nuanced aspects of intercultural mentoring. Ultimately, the current article presents a framework for a bidirectional relationship between intercultural mentoring and cultural competence through experiential learning theory and intergroup contact theory, resulting in implications for practitioners and actionable research directions.
Findings
The article highlights the interplay and interdependence of cultural competence and intercultural mentoring through experiential learning and intergroup contact theory. Cultural competence influences the quality of intercultural mentoring relationships. Conversely, intercultural mentoring relationships can develop cultural competence in mentors and mentees through experiential learning, producing positive intergroup contact behaviors. Findings suggest the need for active learning and unlearning among mentors and mentees in intercultural mentoring relationships to maximize developmental outcomes (e.g. cultural competence).
Originality/value
The proposed framework emphasizes that (1) the possession of cultural competence is a critical success factor for intercultural mentoring relationships, (2) the development of cultural competence is an outcome of successful intercultural mentoring relationships, and (3) intercultural mentoring relationships should be regarded as experiential learning platforms that can produce positive intercultural traits such as cultural competence.
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Leyla Boy Akdag and Özge Tayfur Ekmekci
This study aims to investigate the effects of candidates' perceptions of cybervetting – the evaluation of social media profiles by employers – on the perceived attractiveness and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effects of candidates' perceptions of cybervetting – the evaluation of social media profiles by employers – on the perceived attractiveness and prestige of organizations and the role of gender as a moderator in these relationships. Three perceptions – perceived injustice, privacy invasion and surface validity – are used to evaluate candidates' attitudes about cybervetting.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample is comprised of third- and fourth-year undergraduate students at a university in Ankara, Türkiye. A survey technique was used to collect research data. The survey form was prepared on an online platform.
Findings
Survey results revealed that negative perceptions of cybervetting significantly affected perceived organizational attractiveness, prestige and intention to pursue the organization. Still, no significant difference was found between the women and men groups in this effect. Men candidates are more concerned about the validity and fairness of cybervetting.
Originality/value
The research's findings are anticipated to shed significant light on how cybervetting is conceptualized, specifically whether feelings of injustice, privacy invasion and validity constitute core components of cybervetting. Besides, the findings are expected to reveal whether candidates' attitudes toward cybervetting affect their perceptions regarding the general attractiveness and prestige of the organizations.
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Giulia Pisano, B. Kennath Widanaralalage and Dominic Willmott
This study aims to investigate the experiences of service providers supporting male victims and female perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). The study explored the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the experiences of service providers supporting male victims and female perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). The study explored the drivers, methods and treatments of female-perpetrated IPV, the nature and impact of abuse towards male victims, the barriers and facilitators to service provision and the impact on the practitioners themselves.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a qualitative approach, using reflexive thematic analysis to analyse semi-structured interviews with 13 experienced service providers.
Findings
Two overarching themes were identified: systemic issues in service provision, including challenges with multi-agency approaches, funding and availability of services and the impact on practitioners; and gender stereotypes, which created barriers to male victims' help-seeking and influenced the treatment of female perpetrators.
Practical implications
The findings suggest the need for a multi-level approach, addressing gendered inequalities in IPV policy and funding, implementing gender-inclusive, evidence-based and trauma-informed practices, and raising public and professional awareness to challenge the dominant “domestic violence stereotype”.
Originality/value
This study provides a detailed, in-depth exploration of the experiences of service providers supporting “non-typical” populations in IPV, revealing the complex, multi-faceted challenges they face within a system that is inherently designed to support female victims of male perpetrators.
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During World War I, more than 11,000,000 children, or over half of all schoolchildren in America, joined their local Junior Red Cross and engaged in volunteer war work. What these…
Abstract
During World War I, more than 11,000,000 children, or over half of all schoolchildren in America, joined their local Junior Red Cross and engaged in volunteer war work. What these children learned in school from their work with the Junior Red Cross, as well as those who did the same work outside of the organization, was an important part of the war work underway in the nation. While they may not have been working for wages, they were still an essential part of the war work economy. Across the nation, they made thousands of quilts, not just for the soldiers in the hospitals but also for the orphans of France, Belgium, and Armenia. Their colorful and warm quilts are the perfect example of youthful resistance against the pallid and cold realities of war. By focusing more on the journalism of the day, rather than the secondary sources related to the economics of the war, this chapter strives to tell their stories and return to the children the praise and admiration they got during the war for their dedication to their country that was, unfortunately, forgotten over time. By making these quilts, the children not only showed great patriotism and interest in the war, for they were responsible for providing comfort to the casualties of war and hope for the survivors of genocide, but they also served as valuable economic sources in the war economy. And as we all know, a good citizen contributes to the economy, and good citizens deserve recognition.
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Harish Kumar Singla and Milind Phadtare
The study is an attempt to find the major risks faced by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in construction business in India. Further, the study attempts to find…
Abstract
Purpose
The study is an attempt to find the major risks faced by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in construction business in India. Further, the study attempts to find how MSMEs mitigate those risks.
Design/methodology/approach
Toward the objective of study, the authors used a case-based qualitative research design. Four firms were selected, and their owners and selected employees/partners were interviewed. Each firm is presented as an independent case to highlight the core risk management (RM) philosophy of each firm. This was followed by a thematic analysis to arrive at the major risks involved in MSME construction projects and their mitigation strategy.
Findings
MSME firms engaged in the construction business in India are not keen on following formal RM practices because they believe that it makes the bid unviable. MSMEs find it difficult to identify most of the problems in a construction project due to an uncontrolled environment and believe that it is best to resolve the issues as and when they occur. They have acquired tacit knowledge on hindrances and deal with them as and when they occur. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong is the basic philosophy.
Research limitations/implications
A small sample size makes the generalization of its findings difficult.
Practical implications
MSMEs cannot afford to hire specialists in project RM due to financial constraints. Hence, it would be worthwhile sending experienced employees for a short duration of training on the same.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors knowledge, it is a first-of-its-kind study focusing on RM practices of MSME, particularly in the construction sector.
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Rui Zhang, Gaoliang Tian, Zichen Tian and Liuchuang Li
This study aims to investigate whether mainland Chinese audit firms’ entry into the H-share market to provide audit services affects their mainland audit pricing.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate whether mainland Chinese audit firms’ entry into the H-share market to provide audit services affects their mainland audit pricing.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data on A-share listed companies in China from 2008 to 2018, a difference-in-differences model to test the research question is designed. Robustness tests are conducted to rule out alternative explanations and additional tests to shed light on the extent and inner workings of the main effect.
Findings
The entry of mainland audit firms into the H-share audit market leads to a significant decrease in mainland audit pricing. Moreover, this main effect is (i) growing with the importance of H-share audit services to mainland auditors, (ii) stronger for mainland auditors with lower industry specialisation and shorter tenures, (iii) partially mediated by audit efficiency and (iv) greater when mainland clients have higher bargaining power. Furthermore, mainland auditors’ entry into the H-share audit market does not result in significant deterioration in their mainland audit quality, and significantly increases their market share in the mainland audit market.
Originality/value
This study provides new empirical evidence of the relationship between audit firms’ development strategy for internationalisation and audit pricing, extends the literature on auditing issues in emerging markets and should be of potential interest to regulators and investors.
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Eileen Z. Taylor and Paul F. Williams
To argue current calls to address grand challenges like income inequality are unlikely to succeed until the academy acknowledges how accounting is constitutive of these problems…
Abstract
Purpose
To argue current calls to address grand challenges like income inequality are unlikely to succeed until the academy acknowledges how accounting is constitutive of these problems. We demonstrate how accounting is part of the problem because of its adherence to a legal model of the corporation erected on false suppositions.
Design/methodology/approach
Using multiple disciplines, e.g. history, economics, law and philosophy, pertaining to the nature of the corporate form, we present a logical argument that the official telos of accounting obstructs any fruitful effort to address grand challenges.
Findings
The global legal concept governing corporations (an aggregate of members) makes corporations a major cause of the grand challenges humans face. Adherence to a legal theory of the corporation leads accounting policy to rationalize income and wealth inequality by subsuming the legal powers of corporations to expropriate wealth into a singular maximand labeled “earnings.”
Originality/value
Though accounting is essentially “of” law, scholarly efforts to understand accounting’s social role are based on an information metaphor. We provide reasons for skepticism of any efforts addressing grand challenges until accounting acknowledges the legal nature of its social role as a regulator of business conduct. There are no accounting solutions to grand challenges without acknowledging how the accepted legal nature of the corporate form makes the corporation the cause of the grand challenges we face.