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Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Reem Zaabalawi, Gregory Domenic VanderPyl, Daniel Fredrick, Kimberly Gleason and Deborah Smith

The purpose of this study is to extend the Fraud Diamond Theory to celebrity Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) and investigate their post-Initial Public Offering (IPO…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to extend the Fraud Diamond Theory to celebrity Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) and investigate their post-Initial Public Offering (IPO) stock market performance.

Design/methodology/approach

After obtaining a sample of celebrity SPACs from the Spacresearch.com database, fraud risk characteristics were obtained from Lexis Nexus searches. Buy and hold abnormal returns were calculated for celebrity SPACs versus a small-cap equity benchmark for time intervals after IPO, and multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between fraud risk features and post-IPO returns.

Findings

Celebrity SPACs exhibit Fraud Diamond characteristics and significantly underperform a small-cap stock portfolio on a risk-adjusted basis after IPO.

Research limitations/implications

This study only examines celebrity SPACs that conducted IPOs on the NYSE and NASDAQ/AMEX and does not include those that are traded on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB).

Practical implications

Celebrity endorsement of SPAC vehicles attracts investors who may not be properly informed regarding the risk characteristics of SPACs. Accordingly, investors should be warned that celebrity SPACs underperform a small-cap equity portfolio and exhibit significant elements of fraud risk.

Social implications

The use of celebrity endorsement as a marketing device to attract investment in SPACs has regulatory implications.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to examine the fraud risk characteristics and post-IPO performance of celebrity SPACs.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 31 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 May 2024

Job Maveke Wambua, Fredrick Madaraka Mwema, Stephen Akinlabi, Martin Birkett, Ben Xu, Wai Lok Woo, Mike Taverne, Ying-Lung Daniel Ho and Esther Akinlabi

The purpose of this paper is to present an optimisation of four-point star-shaped structures produced through additive manufacturing (AM) polylactic acid (PLA). The study also…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an optimisation of four-point star-shaped structures produced through additive manufacturing (AM) polylactic acid (PLA). The study also aims to investigate the compression failure mechanism of the structure.

Design/methodology/approach

A Taguchi L9 orthogonal array design of the experiment is adopted in which the input parameters are resolution (0.06, 0.15 and 0.30 mm), print speed (60, 70 and 80 mm/s) and bed temperature (55°C, 60°C, 65°C). The response parameters considered were printing time, material usage, compression yield strength, compression modulus and dimensional stability. Empirical observations during compression tests were used to evaluate the load–response mechanism of the structures.

Findings

The printing resolution is the most significant input parameter. Material length is not influenced by the printing speed and bed temperature. The compression stress–strain curve exhibits elastic, plateau and densification regions. All the samples exhibit negative Poisson’s ratio values within the elastic and plateau regions. At the beginning of densification, the Poisson’s ratios change to positive values. The metamaterial printed at a resolution of 0.3 mm, 80 mm/s and 60°C exhibits the best mechanical properties (yield strength and modulus of 2.02 and 58.87 MPa, respectively). The failure of the structure occurs through bending and torsion of the unit cells.

Practical implications

The optimisation study is significant for decision-making during the 3D printing and the empirical failure model shall complement the existing techniques for the mechanical analysis of the metamaterials.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, a new empirical model, based on the uniaxial load response and “static truss concept”, for failure mechanisms of the unit cell is presented.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. 30 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 June 2024

Gaffar Hafiz Sagala, Faisal Rahman Dongoran and Dedy Husrizal Syah

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed educational practices due to the intense use of information technology for teaching and learning. That phenomenon presents…

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed educational practices due to the intense use of information technology for teaching and learning. That phenomenon presents challenges for lecturers in higher education establishments because student engagement is threatened during online interactions. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of the SME project for maintaining student engagement during online learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The research used a quasi-experimental method involving experimental and control groups. Researchers collect quantitative and qualitative data to obtain comprehensive information. The data were collected using an electronic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and open coding were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The research used a quasi-experimental method involving experimental and control groups. Researchers collected quantitative and qualitative data using an electronic questionnaire to obtain comprehensive information. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and open coding were used to analyze the data.

Originality/value

This study provides the educational community with a new insight into optimizing PBL in the online learning environment. Qualified PBL, as practiced by educators, will lead to student engagement, which leads to meaningful learning.

Details

Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, vol. 17 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2397-7604

Keywords

Content available

Abstract

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Article
Publication date: 20 August 2024

Pramod Iyer, Atanas Nik Nikolov, Geoffrey T. Stewart, Rajesh V. Srivastava and Thomas Tang

To most people, money is a motivator, which is robustly true for salespeople. A high love of money attitude predicts university students’ poor academic performance in a business…

Abstract

Purpose

To most people, money is a motivator, which is robustly true for salespeople. A high love of money attitude predicts university students’ poor academic performance in a business course and cheating in laboratory experiments and multiple panel studies, but money (income) itself does not predict dishonesty. Extrinsic reward undermines intrinsic motivation. Very little research has incorporated the grit construct in the sales literature and explored the relationship between grit and the love of money. Further, a growth mindset and a fixed mindset may also impact salespeople’s job performance. This study aims to explore a brand-new theoretical structural equation model (SEM) and investigate the relationships between individual characteristics (growth and fixed mindsets and grit orientation) and job performance directly and indirectly through a mediator – salespeople’s love of money attitude.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses Qualtrics and collects data from 330 business-to-business (B2B) salespeople across several industries in the USA. This study uses a formative SEM model to test this study’s hypotheses.

Findings

First, there are significant correlations among grit, a growth mindset and a fixed mindset, revealing no construct duplication or redundancy. Second, both a growth mindset and grit indirectly enhance job performance through the love of money attitude – a mediator, offering a brand-new discovery. Third, counter-intuitively, a growth mindset and grit do not directly improve job performance. Fourth, grit is significantly and negatively related to the love of money attitude, adding a new twist to this study’s theoretical model. Fifth, a fixed mindset undermines job performance directly but is unrelated to the love of money. Overall, B2B salespeople’s love of money attitude (employee demand) undermines sales personnel’s self-reported job performance (organization demand) in the organization and employee’s supply and demand exchange relationship.

Originality/value

The findings reveal that a growth mindset, a fixed mindset and grit contribute differently to sales personnel’s love of money attitude and job performance in this study’s theoretical model. The love of money serves as a mediator. A commonly accepted belief is that money is a motivator. Money (income) itself and the love of money attitude are two separate constructs. This study’s novel discoveries provide the essential missing monetary-aspirations-to-job-performance link in the literature – ardent monetary aspiration undermines self-reported job performance. This study offers inspiration to help decision-makers make happy, healthy and wealthy decisions and improve performance.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 July 2024

Nida Shamim, Suraksha Gupta and Matthew Minsuk Shin

The purpose of this paper is to explore user engagement (UE) within the Metaverse (MV) environment, emphasising the crucial role of immersive experiences (IEs). This study aims to…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore user engagement (UE) within the Metaverse (MV) environment, emphasising the crucial role of immersive experiences (IEs). This study aims to understand how IEs influence UE and the mediating effects of hedonic value (HV) and utilitarian value (UV) on this relationship. Additionally, the authors examine the moderating impacts of user perceptions (UPs) such as headset comfort, simulation sickness, prior knowledge and ease of use on the utilisation of the MV. This study seeks to elucidate the dynamics of virtual travel at a pre-experience stage, enhancing the comprehension of how digital platforms can revolutionise UE in travel and tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a triangulation methodology to provide a thorough investigation into the factors influencing UE in the MV. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to frame the research context and identify relevant variables. To gather empirical data, 25 interviews were performed with active MV users, supplemented by a survey distributed to 118 participants. The data collected was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypothesised relationships between IEs, UPs, HV and UV and their combined effect on UE within the MV.

Findings

The findings from the SEM indicate that engaging in the MV leads to a positive IE, which significantly enhances UE. Additionally, it was discovered that HV and UV play a mediating role in strengthening the link between IEs and UE. Furthermore, UPs, including headset comfort, simulation sickness, prior knowledge and ease of use, are significant moderators in the relationship between IEs and MV usage. These insights provide a nuanced understanding of the variables that contribute to and enhance UE in virtual environments.

Originality/value

This research contributes original insights into the burgeoning field of digital tourism by focusing on the MV, a rapidly evolving platform. It addresses the gap in the existing literature by delineating the complex interplay between IEs, UPs and value constructs within the MV. By using a mixed-method approach and advanced statistical analysis, this study provides a comprehensive model of UE specific to virtual travel platforms. The findings are particularly valuable for developers and marketers in the hospitality and tourism sectors seeking to capitalise on digital transformation and enhance UE through immersive technologies.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 August 2024

Denis Dyvee Errabo and Areeya Amor Ongoco

The principal aim of the research was to develop Interactive Mobile Learning Modules (IMLM) as an approach to innovative teaching practices in online distance education.

Abstract

Purpose

The principal aim of the research was to develop Interactive Mobile Learning Modules (IMLM) as an approach to innovative teaching practices in online distance education.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed educational action research, using a quasi-experimental design catering to ninth-grade students (N = 104) attending a public high school in Manila.

Findings

Our research indicates that IMLM has a positive effect on student engagement. It provides students with a convenient, easily accessible, and engaging means of understanding Genetics concepts. The execution of this initiative has facilitated the emergence of novel ideas, heightened the ease of use, and advanced more equitable opportunities within the education domain. Thus, IMLM’s utilization has resulted in a favorable shift in conceptual understanding. It has been found to support learners' concept test performance, as evidenced by score gains and statistically significant improvement in understanding.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited with the development and utilization of mlearning strategy to accommodate learners in the public school system in a developing country.

Practical implications

The study addresses ongoing strategy and discussion to enrich online learning through the mlearning strategy.

Social implications

The study accommodates inclusivity and equitable learning through personalize mlearning strategy.

Originality/value

The study is novel because it utilize mlearning as innovative approach to teaching genetics.

Details

Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, vol. 17 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2397-7604

Keywords

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