Search results

A “state-driven” approach suggests that colonists use census categories to rule. However, a “society-driven” approach suggests that this state-driven perspective confers too much power upon states. A third approach views census-taking and official categorization as a product of state–society interaction that depends upon: (a) the population's lay categories, (b) information intellectuals' ability to take up and transform these lay categories, and (c) the balance of power between social and state actors. We evaluate the above positions by analyzing official records, key texts, travelogues, and statistical memoirs from three key periods in India: Indus Valley civilization through classical Gupta rule (ca. 3300 BCE–700 CE), the “medieval” period (ca. 700–1700 CE), and East India Company (EIC) rule (1757–1857 CE), using historical narrative. We show that information gathering early in the first period was society driven; however, over time, a strong interactive pattern emerged. Scribes (information intellectuals) increased their social status and power (thus, shifting the balance of power) by drawing on caste categories (lay categories) and incorporating them into official information gathering. This intensification of interactive information gathering allowed the Mughals, the EIC, and finally British direct rule officials to collect large quantities of information. Our evidence thus suggests that the intensification of state–society interactions over time laid the groundwork for the success of the direct rule British censuses. It also suggests that any transformative effect of these censuses lay in this interactive pattern, not in the strength of the British colonial state.

In this article, the authors try to determine why and under what conditions consumers intend to buy green and what the consequences are. Relying on theories of reasoned action and theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the authors offer that the green purchase intention (GPI) is impressed by environmental and personality components. Provide statements about the determinants and key implications of such market identification.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) report readability and earnings management (EM). Additionally, the authors examine the association between CSR spending and CSR report readability to understand the clarity in disclosure when the firms’ investment in CSR is higher.

The sample for this study consists of 156 publicly traded firms in India spanning 2016–2021. The authors use the Fog Index to measure the readability of CSR reports and absolute discretionary accruals and absolute accrual EM as the proxy for EM. The empirical models are tested using a two-stage system GMM dynamic panel data model.

The authors find a negative association between the Fog Index and EM, indicating that the readability of CSR reports decreases when EM increases in a firm. Managers use complex words to mislead the stakeholders when there are more EM practices. The authors’ additional analysis shows a positive association between CSR spending and CSR report readability, indicating that the firm spends more reports on the initiatives more precisely, avoiding words with more syllables.

This study offers novel evidence by examining the readability of CSR reports published by Indian firms. Given the mandatory requirement of CSR in India, the readability of disclosures is associated with EM. The authors’ unique focus on CSR report readability provides a new direction for future researchers as they can explore the influence of regulatory mandates on CSR reporting practices.

This study analyzes the performance implications of adopting blockchain to support supply chain business processes. The technology holds as many promises as implementation challenges, so interest in its impact on operational performance has grown steadily over the last few years.

Drawing on transaction cost economics and the contingency theory, we built a set of hypotheses. These were tested through a long-term event study and an ordinary least squares regression involving 130 adopters listed in North America.

Compared with the control sample, adopters displayed significant abnormal performance in terms of labor productivity, operating cycle and profitability, whereas sales appeared unaffected. Firms in regulated settings and closer to the end customer showed more positive effects. Neither industry-level competition nor the early involvement of a project partner emerged as relevant contextual factors.

This research presents the first extensive analysis of operational performance based on objective measures. In contrast to previous studies and theoretical predictions, the results indicate that blockchain adoption is not associated with sales improvement. This can be explained considering that secure data storage and sharing do not guarantee the factual credibility of recorded data, which needs to be proved to customers in alternative ways. Conversely, improvements in other operational performance dimensions confirm that blockchain can support inter-organizational transactions more efficiently. The results are relevant in times when, following hype, there are signs of disengagement with the technology.

In the 21st century, libraries are experiencing a significant decline in users due to shifting reading habits and the impact of technology, necessitating library transformation and a heightened emphasis on library marketing. Special libraries, in particular, rely heavily on patrons for survival, often due to their private ownership and limited resources. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned objectives.

This paper examines the Taste Library, a special library in Hong Kong, and analyzes its current practices based on an interview with its founder, website content, and social media presence. The 7Ps Marketing Mix model is employed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the library's current market position.

The Taste Library's existing practices exhibit limitations in attracting young patrons. To address this issue, we propose marketing strategies focused on enhancing social network presence, offering digitized content, and engaging in school outreach.

By concentrating on youth marketing, this study offers valuable insights for special libraries in developing strategic plans for transitioning and maintaining sustainability.

Few studies concentrate on marketing small special libraries, particularly in the East, within today's digitized economy.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating influence of three digitalization antecedents on the links between digitalization and survival. It addresses the roots of digitalization to discover different patterns and foundations that contribute to higher survival rates. The article explores whether a learning strategy can attain survivability on its own or whether digitalization facilitates the function of learning in survival.

The study uses partial least squares structural equation modeling to analyze data from 483 firms to assess this study’s hypothesis. Additionally, necessary condition analysis (NCA) is used to specify the necessary conditions of survivability.

The authors find a positive relationship between digitalization and business survival, as well as evidence of the strong mediating effect of resilience and learning in survivability. In addition, the study reveals that digitalization can serve as a sufficient condition for survival but not a necessary one, as it may be replaced by the mediating variables.

The research offers insights into digitalization’s impact on business survival but faces limitations such as geographic focus and reliance on self-reported data. Despite this, it contributes to theory and practice by exploring how digitalization, organizational capabilities and resilience intersect.

This study provides insights into the required parameters for survival and the elimination of outliers in NCA.

This work provides insights into different antecedents of digitalization and business survival.

This study aims to investigate account managers’ dual embeddedness (customer and internal embeddedness) in solution co-creation. The authors examine the mediating role of two-way matching between suppliers and customers and the moderating role of customer requirement complexity.

The authors use a questionnaire to collect data from 566 account managers of supplier companies in China and conduct hypothesis testing through multiple linear regression analysis and bootstrapping.

The findings demonstrate that customer and internal embeddedness are distinct with different dimensions and are positively related to solution co-creation performance. Customer and internal embeddedness affect solution co-creation performance through two-way matching in the customer requirement definition and solution integration phases, respectively. The interaction term of customer and internal embeddedness indirectly affect solution co-creation performance through two-way matching, and customer requirement complexity strengthens this main effect.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine dual embeddedness at the individual level and distinguish between the customer and internal embeddedness of account managers by different dimensional classifications. The authors clarify the difference and relationship between customer and internal embeddedness in solution co-creation and investigate the mediating and moderating roles of two-way matching and customer requirement complexity, respectively. This study expands the theoretical research on social embeddedness theory and business-to-business solutions and provides useful insights into the solution co-creation practice for account managers and suppliers.

As employees face increased turbulence due to uncertain economic and organisational conditions, they are nowadays pushed to be proactive in both their jobs and careers in terms of heightened customisation, adaptability and flexibility. Drawing from the career construction theory, we examine the reciprocal associations of a contemporary career orientation among employees to customise one’s own career (i.e. protean career orientation) vs one’s own job (i.e. job crafting behaviours) as well as the boundary conditions due to the levels of career adaptability.

We conducted a cross-lagged study with three waves using data collected from a sample of Polish employees. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling in AMOS.

Results from a cross-lagged panel study with 168 participants revealed a bidirectional relationship between protean career orientation and job crafting behaviours. The results also confirmed the moderating role of career adaptability between these two variables.

This research is one of the first to examine a reciprocal relationship between protean career orientation and job crafting. Moreover, it examines the moderating role of career adaptability in the aforementioned association.

To a large extent, knowledge in government workplaces resides within the hierarchy as it provides unique services to the public. Governments should preserve and pass on valuable and irreplaceable knowledge in providing their services through learning by sharing. Yet, sharing requires time and effort. This study examines the motivations of civil servants to share knowledge and their knowledge-sharing behaviors.

The authors conducted an online survey to collect quantitative data from civil servants in the Hong Kong Government and obtained 104 useable responses to test the eight hypotheses comprising six constructs by structural equation modeling to explore the participants' knowledge-sharing behaviors.

Results indicated that (1) expected contribution was the primary source of motivation behind knowledge sharing; (2) participants engaged more frequently in informal than formal knowledge-sharing activities; and (3) there was a dire need for knowledge sharing focusing on explicit knowledge of work procedures.

The research focuses on motivational factors for knowledge sharing. Despite abundant literature about knowledge sharing in public or governmental organizations, scant studies focus on the motivations behind why expected rewards and expected associations have less significant impacts on the attitude toward knowledge sharing than expected contribution.