Honglei Li, Hongyu Wang, Ziyu Yang and Changwei Guo
In the field of digital entrepreneurship, achieving high growth in digital start-ups is crucial. This paper aims to explore how causal conditions at the individual, organizational…
Abstract
Purpose
In the field of digital entrepreneurship, achieving high growth in digital start-ups is crucial. This paper aims to explore how causal conditions at the individual, organizational and environmental levels interact in the growth process of digital start-ups. Furthermore, it uses a configurational approach to conduct a holistic analysis of the cross-level interaction mechanisms that enable digital start-ups to achieve high growth.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a holistic perspective, the data collection included 57 representative cases of digital start-ups in China in the past decade (2014–2023). A fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis was conducted to explore the cross-level interaction mechanism of the three-dimensional causal conditions of the environment, organization and individual entrepreneurs on high growth among digital start-ups.
Findings
This study found three models for digital start-ups to achieve high growth. These models − the resource network orchestration model, the innovation resource development model and the entrepreneurial spirit coherence model, respectively, reflect the multiple paths of high growth achieved by various digital start-ups based on their entrepreneurial environment, organizational capability and the personality of the founder. This reflects that digital start-ups face different conditions and entrepreneurial situations, with differing cross-level interaction mechanisms for achieving high growth.
Practical implications
First, digital start-ups should focus on strengthening their digital resource integration capabilities to lay the foundation for their subsequent high-growth path selection. Second, entrepreneurs need to adopt a holistic perspective to change or strengthen the causal conditions required to achieve high growth. Third, emphasis should be placed on the coherence between the entrepreneur’s need for achievement and the internal entrepreneurial culture.
Originality/value
First, this study contributes to the literature on high growth among digital start-ups by introducing a cross-level interaction mechanism comprising environmental, organizational and entrepreneurial causal conditions. Second, it reveals that individual factors at the environmental, organizational and entrepreneurial levels are not necessary conditions for high entrepreneurial growth and that digital resource integration capabilities play a more universal role in achieving high digital start-up growth. Finally, the study provides a cross-level holistic explanation of how digital start-ups can achieve high growth and reveals various configuration models conducive to high growth, thus offering practical insights for businesses.
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This paper examines the relationship between a pyramidal firm’s control-ownership wedge and the amount of its debt relative to the group’s total debt and its likelihood of having…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the relationship between a pyramidal firm’s control-ownership wedge and the amount of its debt relative to the group’s total debt and its likelihood of having guaranteed debt in its capital structure.
Design/methodology/approach
The study sample consists of the 200 largest Indonesian companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the period 2015–2022. I run baseline regressions and a number of robustness tests, which include two-stage least squares, censored regressions, difference-in-differences and subsample regressions as well as regressions with interaction terms.
Findings
The results show that, within pyramidal business groups, member firms with large control-ownership wedges are associated with less group debt allocation and a higher probability of having guaranteed debt.
Originality/value
To the best of my knowledge, this paper is the first to examine the direct link between a pyramidal firm’s control wedge and its’ proportion of group debt allocation and probability of having guaranteed debt. Therefore, it enriches the theory of tradeoffs within business groups and sheds more insights on the intragroup guarantees literature.
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Jianlei Han, Stewart Jones, Zini Liang, Zheyao Pan and Jing Shi
This paper examines the evolving landscape of accounting and finance research on the Chinese capital market, building on a previous study published at Abacus in 2018.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the evolving landscape of accounting and finance research on the Chinese capital market, building on a previous study published at Abacus in 2018.
Design/methodology/approach
By incorporating data from 1999 to 2023, our analysis offers a detailed examination of shifts in academic focus, methodological advancements and thematic expansions over the last quarter-century.
Findings
The study reveals a substantial increase in accounting and finance publications related to the Chinese capital market in both Tier 1 and Asia-Pacific journals. The dynamic growth of the Chinese capital market during this period reflects profound economic transformations, characterized by technological innovations, sustainability commitments and regulatory reforms.
Originality/value
We conclude that the globally important Chinese capital market has attracted increasing academic attention, significantly advancing the understanding of accounting and finance research in China’s capital market.
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Yanliang Niu, Renjie Zhang, Guangdong Wu and Qianwen Zhou
This study explores whether the peer effects of internationalization exist within the subdivision industry of enterprises in the engineering field and assesses the imitation paths…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores whether the peer effects of internationalization exist within the subdivision industry of enterprises in the engineering field and assesses the imitation paths for the peer engineering enterprises within the industry when implementing internationalization strategies under the peer effects.
Design/methodology/approach
This study collected secondary and objective data on 38 Chinese engineering enterprises from the Engineering News-Record's list of the top 250 international contractors between 2013 and 2021. It employed a regression analysis to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The findings reveal that in the process of internationalization: (1) peer effects exist within the subdivision industry of internationalization of engineering enterprises; (2) engineering enterprises within the same industry and region imitate each other; (3) non-state-owned engineering enterprises imitate state-owned engineering enterprises within the same industry; and (4) in the industry follower–leader imitation process, industry followers imitate leaders according to enterprise size and return on assets.
Originality/value
The results contribute to a better understanding of how peer effects influence engineering enterprises' internationalization process. This study also proposes imitation paths based on the law of imitation to provide recommendations for engineering enterprises' better development in the international market.
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Hoa Luong, Abeyratna Gunasekarage and Pallab Kumar Biswas
This paper investigates the influence of CEO power on financial statement comparability using a multidimensional CEO power index and a comprehensive measure of financial statement…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper investigates the influence of CEO power on financial statement comparability using a multidimensional CEO power index and a comprehensive measure of financial statement comparability for ASX-listed companies.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applies ordinary least squares regression analyses to a sample of 3,562 firm-year observations spanning 2004–2015. A propensity score matching procedure, lagged regression models, instrumental variable two-stage least squares regressions and first difference models were performed for endogeneity correction and robustness purposes.
Findings
The results suggest that powerful CEOs are more likely to produce more comparable financial reports. We also analyse four dimensions of CEO power and find that the influence of CEO power on FS comparability mainly stems from ownership and expert power dimensions. Additionally, we report that the influence of CEO power on FS comparability is more pronounced for firms that operate under high market competition and industry-related shocks, but governance characteristics do not make a material impact on the uncovered relationship.
Practical implications
Given the pressure exerted by regulatory bodies on companies to reduce information asymmetry, the study’s empirical evidence offers valuable insights to policymakers, corporations and other stakeholders as it provides evidence on the importance of corporate leadership in improving FS comparability.
Originality/value
The extent to which CEO power is linked with the comparability of corporate disclosures is new to the literature. Investigating such a link is important because corporate disclosure is primarily a management practice that emanates from the board and generally affects the firm, its shareholders and other market participants.
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This study aims to examine the cost stickiness among the firms listed in six Gulf Cooperation Council countries and whether the Shariah compliance status has an impact of on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the cost stickiness among the firms listed in six Gulf Cooperation Council countries and whether the Shariah compliance status has an impact of on corporate cost behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study uses a sample of non-financial firms listed in six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to show that the Shariah compliance status of the firm affects its cost behavior. The study uses panel ordinary least squares and Heckman’s selection bias models to test the hypothesis of the study.
Findings
Firms classified as Shariah-compliant experience more cost stickiness compared to non-Shariah-compliant peers. This behavior is attributed to the restrictions on external financing options that Shariah corporates experience. Further analysis shows that the Islamic financial development of a country plays an important role in reducing the cost stickiness among the Shariah compliant firms.
Originality/value
The role of Shariah compliance in a firm’s cost structure is not well-explored in the current literature. This study is the first to investigate the relationship between cost stickiness and Shariah compliance. Further, the study establishes a nexus between cost stickiness, Shariah compliance and Islamic financial development.
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Anjali Srivastava, Rima Assaf, Dharen Kumar Pandey and Rahul Kumar
Understanding and mitigating stock price crash risk is vital for investors and regulators to ensure financial market stability. This study aims to unveil significant research…
Abstract
Purpose
Understanding and mitigating stock price crash risk is vital for investors and regulators to ensure financial market stability. This study aims to unveil significant research trends and opportunities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts the bibliometric and systematic review approach to analyse 485 Scopus-indexed articles through citation, keyword co-occurrence, bibliographic coupling, and publication analyses and delve into the depth of crash risk literature.
Findings
This bibliometric review reveals not only a surge in crash risk publications over the last decade but also delineates several emerging thematic threads within this domain. We identify seven distinct themes that have gained prominence in recent literature: bad news hoarding, board characteristics, capital market factors, corporate policies, ownership impact, corporate governance, and external environmental influences on crash risk. This thematic analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape of crash risk research and underscores the multifaceted nature of factors contributing to market instability.
Practical implications
This study makes a substantial contribution by furnishing a thorough examination of existing studies, pinpointing areas where knowledge is lacking, and shedding light on emerging trends and debates within the crash risk literature.
Originality/value
This study identifies current research trajectories and propels future exploration into agency perspectives, audit quality, and corporate disclosures within crash risk literature.
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Chun-Shan Tai, Jin-Feng Uen and Szu-Hsien Lu
Most small- and medium-sized high-tech companies lack resources compared to large corporations, making it challenging to fully develop an employer brand. Therefore, identifying…
Abstract
Purpose
Most small- and medium-sized high-tech companies lack resources compared to large corporations, making it challenging to fully develop an employer brand. Therefore, identifying the subdimensions of employer branding that are important to talent in startup tech companies is crucial. Additionally, startups have higher organisational agility. Integrating this agility into an employer’s brand can enhance the unique value of startups, which is vital for employee retention.
Design/methodology/approach
Taiwan has many high-technology companies, and the competition to acquire talent is fierce. Hierarchical linear modelling is used. Data are collected from 219 employees of 51 high-technology startup companies.
Findings
The subcomponents of employer brand, “healthy work atmosphere”, “training and development” and “compensation and benefits”, significantly influence employee retention in high-tech startups. Additionally, agile values positively influence employee retention and positively moderate the relationship between the employer brand’s “healthy working atmosphere” and “training and development” with employee retention.
Originality/value
This study expands the theoretical content of employer branding. In resource-constrained small startup tech companies, greater focus should be placed on developing the three sub-dimensions. Although employee growth needs can compensate for some of the shortcomings of employer brands, employees still expect high salaries and benefits. Additionally, this study discusses agile values through empirical research, filling the gap in past research on agile values, which primarily focused on qualitative studies. We use the organisational culture perspective to determine whether agile values can enhance employee retention in rapidly changing environments. Agile values positively affect work environments.
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Alper Özer, Mehmet Özer, İrem Buran and Esra Genç
This study aims to investigate the impact of brand engagement on consumer responses to brand extensions, particularly in terms of value perception, attitude and purchase intention…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of brand engagement on consumer responses to brand extensions, particularly in terms of value perception, attitude and purchase intention in a masstige context. The study examines low-fit/high-functionality and high-fit/low-functionality products. It also explores the crucial role of self-congruence in enhancing brand engagement, which leads to positive consumer responses towards brand extensions.
Design/methodology/approach
After establishing the theoretical foundations, pre-tests identified the product types and their fit level. In this quantitative study, 464 questionnaires were administered. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling validated the model and tested the hypotheses for low-fit/high-functionality and high-fit/low-functionality products of a masstige brand.
Findings
Data analysis shows that brand engagement positively affects value perception, attitude and purchase intention. However, consumers’ responses to brand extension differed for low-fit versus high-fit products. Moreover, social self-congruence and actual and ideal self-congruence positively impact consumers’ active engagement with masstige brands.
Originality/value
This research shows that low-fit extensions of masstige brands can succeed with high functionality, while high-fit extensions mitigate the negative effects of low functionality, a key attribute of masstige brands. The study adds to the limited literature on self-congruence and engagement by identifying actual and ideal self-congruence as determinants of brand engagement. It is also among the first to demonstrate that social self-congruence drives brand engagement for masstige brands.
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Muhammad Azhar Khan, Saadia Irfan and Samina Naveed
This study aims to examine the link between financial reporting quality and investment efficiency in publicly listed firms in frontier markets, taking into account country-level…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the link between financial reporting quality and investment efficiency in publicly listed firms in frontier markets, taking into account country-level investor protection. By comparing real and accrual earnings management, this paper demonstrates the context-dependent nature of the impact of financial reporting quality. It emphasises the importance of improving investor protection and reducing agency conflicts in promoting investment efficiency in frontier markets.
Design/methodology/approach
Accounting data from 1998 to 2020 are collected for all listed firms in six frontier market countries across 21 industries. Fixed-effect regression analysis is used to test causal relationships; several robustness checks are performed; and two-stage least squares is used to address endogeneity concerns.
Findings
Higher financial reporting quality improves investment efficiency in frontier markets. Furthermore, the positive effect is amplified when country-level investor protection in frontier markets is strong.
Originality/value
These findings add to the growing body of evidence showing that financial reporting quality improves investment efficiency, even in frontier markets. Furthermore, the level of investor protection within a country strengthens this relationship, particularly in firms that are prone to underinvestment.