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1 – 8 of 8Kai Roland Green and Tom Wraight
This paper uses the cultural figure of Willy Wonka to explore the archetype of the “boy-entrepreneur”, and what the various film manifestations of Wonka (1971–2023) say about…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper uses the cultural figure of Willy Wonka to explore the archetype of the “boy-entrepreneur”, and what the various film manifestations of Wonka (1971–2023) say about changes in entrepreneurial masculinity. We (1) develop an original conceptualisation of boyhood as creatively, socially and gender liminal, (2) analyse the entrepreneurial archetype using literary theories and (3) provide a novel interpretation of Apollonian and Dionysian masculinity to aid future cultural analysis of founder/innovator depictions in children’s media.
Design/methodology/approach
Our study conducts a three-stage dramaturgical analysis of the major film adaptations of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka (1971, 2005 and 2023). After supplementing the limited literature on boyhood in entrepreneurship with literary and feminist art theory, we identify the significant narrative features which frame the Wonka dramas and produce a framework which tracks thematic changes across the films in terms of the creative, social and gender liminal elements of Wonka’s boy-entrepreneur identity.
Findings
Our interpretive analysis reveals a gradual shift in values expressed through Wonka’s boy-entrepreneurialism away from a more hegemonic, Apollonian style of masculinity towards a more Dionysian style embracing emotional expression, intimacy with female characters and kin, and collaborations with nature. Such shifts reflect the growing influence of non-hegemonic entrepreneurial gender expressions, value-driven and relational approaches to new venture creation.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the hugely unexplored area of the “boy-entrepreneur”/“boy-genius”, demonstrating its durability in reality, imagination and popular culture. We provide an in-depth character portrait to provoke further attention to children’s multi-media ways of experiencing early entrepreneurial impressions. We also expand the methodological scope of research on entrepreneurial masculinity beyond real-life founders.
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This paper aims to examine the dynamics between Hong Kong’s domestic sporting needs and its regional aspirations as a “hub” for sport and culture, which have created challenges…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the dynamics between Hong Kong’s domestic sporting needs and its regional aspirations as a “hub” for sport and culture, which have created challenges and contradictions for the optimal provision of relevant infrastructure. These have become particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when local restrictions have undermined Hong Kong’s appeal as an event destination and hindered access and utilization of venues. In recent years, policies in this area have mainly focused on the development of a new sports park on the former airport runway in Kai Tak, which has acquired additional significance in the city’s quest for post-pandemic economic recovery. Simultaneously, any noncommercial land use in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, faces intense scrutiny over a perceived scarcity of space.
Design/methodology/approach
By drawing upon concepts from urban studies and policy studies, the paper explores a presumed preference for commodified sporting landscapes and provides an interdisciplinary approach to enhance the author’s understanding of sport policy and infrastructure. This is achieved through direct comparisons of two case studies, and by building on and expanding a multidimensional evaluative framework of sustainability that can avoid economic reductionism.
Findings
This paper finds that Hong Kong’s sport policy framework exhibits unbalanced consideration when it comes to the planning and development of relevant infrastructure.
Originality/value
By acknowledging the interrelatedness and similarity between sports and culture, the paper may further test the adaptability of cultural policy concepts for the analysis of Hong Kong’s sports policy. As such, it aims to bring the usually separated study of cultural and sport policy within a comparable framework.
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This paper aims to discuss the scholarship over the past 30 years on what used to be called Melanesian warfare or “tribal fighting” and is termed in this paper “intergroup…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the scholarship over the past 30 years on what used to be called Melanesian warfare or “tribal fighting” and is termed in this paper “intergroup conflict” in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. The paper categorises the drivers of intergroup conflict that make up the landscape for conflict in the Highlands. It starts with cultural factors and the understandings about conflict that have long been used to explain such violence, then adds newer factors. It argues that while the individual existence of each driver is important, far more important is the way in which they interact with each other in reinforcing feedback loops that propel the actors involved towards violence.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a thorough review of the scholarly and grey literature on the topic, drawing from the fields of anthropology, criminology, political science, law, justice and peacebuilding.
Findings
The overall finding of the paper is that the nature of intergroup conflict, its scale and dynamics, has changed considerably over the past 30 years, most prominently in the entanglement of the state with local-level conflicts. This has significantly affected the nature of intergroup conflict today, deepening the attractors towards violence and conflict, while weakening the ability of existing state and non-state systems to prevent it. The picture that emerges is one in which the interconnectivity of factors promoting violence has intensified, the rate of change is accelerating and levels of violence are amplified.
Originality/value
This paper is an original work.
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Su Chen, Xinyu Tan, Wenbin Shen, Rongzhi Liu and Yangui Chen
This paper examines the pre-factors of college students’ entrepreneurial behaviors and how their background characteristics affect corporate financial performance in high-tech…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the pre-factors of college students’ entrepreneurial behaviors and how their background characteristics affect corporate financial performance in high-tech businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
About 67 high-tech businesses in China focusing on technical innovation from the Guotai’an database are selected to carry out empirical analysis.
Findings
It is observed that the age, educational and professional backgrounds of college entrepreneurs profoundly influence their ventures geared toward high-tech innovation. Moreover, the transformation abilities, managerial proficiency and growth capabilities, which characterize these ventures, notably affect business performance. They further serve as a moderator in the relationship between the entrepreneurial backgrounds of college students and the overall business performance of their enterprises.
Originality/value
It insinuates novel strategic avenues for collegiate entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial mindset and industrial positioning. Moreover, our findings will not only augment the practical research in the realm of collegiate entrepreneurship but also enhance the study of technological innovation theories, thereby offering further insight and guidance for collegiate entrepreneurs’ innovative endeavors and entrepreneurial pursuits.
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Kutisha T. Ebron, Anthony C. Andenoro, Cheyenne Luzynski and Anne Ngunjiri
In May 2020, Kenya declared Gender-Based Violence (GBV) a health emergency amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic and intimate partner violence typically rises during crises…
Abstract
Purpose
In May 2020, Kenya declared Gender-Based Violence (GBV) a health emergency amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic and intimate partner violence typically rises during crises, regardless of economic status (Spangaro et al., 2021). Before COVID-19, around 45% of women and girls in Kenya had experienced violence (Musembi et al., 2022). Although Kenya’s constitution has addressed GBV since 2010 and gender equity initiatives have been promoted, the pandemic exacerbated GBV, particularly in rural areas, due to lockdowns and movement restrictions. This study examines the lessons learned from Kenya’s COVID-19 response and proposes policies and processes that integrate ethical leadership to effectively combat GBV and advance gender equity.
Design/methodology/approach
This exploratory phenomenology study involved conducting semi-structured interviews with pregnant women, mothers, policymakers and government representatives.
Findings
The qualitative narratives reveal several critical issues and areas for improvement in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and related challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. Both policymakers and pregnant women highlighted a lack of effective leadership, public policy and application of gender equity principles, with deeply ingrained patriarchal norms hindering progress.
Originality/value
This study aims to improve responses to GBV during crises and promote gender equity through ethical leadership. By examining the impacts of COVID-19 on GBV and assessing the influence of intersectoral factors like employment, healthcare and financial aid, it seeks to provide actionable insights for effective interventions. The findings can inform strategies to prevent and address GBV in crises while ensuring inclusivity and justice. This aligns with international initiatives like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the “Leave No One Behind” agenda, fostering more resilient and equitable communities.
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Bing Lu and Emily F. Henderson
This paper contends that data generated by research on supervision are often taken as authentic data. Through an examination of studies that use audio/visual recordings to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper contends that data generated by research on supervision are often taken as authentic data. Through an examination of studies that use audio/visual recordings to investigate supervision, the paper both promotes and problematises the recording of supervision meetings as a useful technique for doctoral supervision research. This paper aims to encourage a critical evaluation of methodological choices in research on supervision, and both promotes and problematises the practice of recording supervision meetings to enhance nuance in research on supervision practices.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews how prior studies have adopted different research methods to construct the space of supervision, and how the chosen methods have been justified. The paper draws on data from an empirical study which included interviews with supervisors in China, based on recordings of their supervision meetings.
Findings
Presenting a single case with one participant to explore the recording and interview process in detail, this study demonstrates how hearing the supervision meeting can present a multi-faceted picture of supervision practice. This multi-faceted picture underpins the alternative understanding of authentic data that this study unpacks.
Originality/value
Drawing on the tradition of poststructuralist critiques of traditional research methodology, this study is presented as a methodological paper, with a core aim of interrogating and problematising methodological decisions taken in studies of doctoral supervision. This study reviews research methods that were used in prior studies on supervision, investigating how the chosen methods were justified and how these methods affect the resultant construction of supervision.
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Under the “dual carbon” framework, the article explores the equilibrium points among the government, agricultural enterprises and village committees, and uses sensitivity analysis…
Abstract
Purpose
Under the “dual carbon” framework, the article explores the equilibrium points among the government, agricultural enterprises and village committees, and uses sensitivity analysis to reveal the dynamic factors affecting these stakeholders, thereby proposing methods to enhance agricultural disaster resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
The article uses MATLAB to construct a game model for the three parties with interests: agribusiness, government and village council. It examines the stability of strategies among these entities. Through graphical simulation, the paper analyzes the sensitivity of agricultural enterprises carbon emissions and village committees’ rent-seeking behaviors in the decision-making process, focusing on significant factors such as government carbon tax and regulatory policies.
Findings
A single government reward and punishment mechanism is insufficient to influence the strategic choices of enterprises and village committees. The cost of rent-seeking does not affect the strategic choices of enterprises and village committees. A key factor influencing whether the village committee engages in rent-seeking is the level of labor income of the village committee as an “intermediary”.
Originality/value
This paper focuses on the dynamic game between three stakeholders (the government, agricultural enterprises and village committees), seeking dynamic equilibrium and conducting sensitivity analysis through visualization to provide the government with optimal policy recommendations.
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Mianzhi Yang, Qing Hui, Qingru Yang, Mengwei Fan and Xin Li
China has recently introduced a new audit law that aims to increase the scope of audit supervision and raise the standards for preventing risks in auditing national public…
Abstract
Purpose
China has recently introduced a new audit law that aims to increase the scope of audit supervision and raise the standards for preventing risks in auditing national public projects. This paper presents a systematic research study on the causes of audit risks in national public projects and discusses the process by which these causes contribute to the emergence of such risks. Furthermore, the paper investigates the core risk sources in various types of national construction project audit. This paper aims to provide theoretical support for auditors of national construction projects in risk avoidance when conducting audits.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the authors carefully selected five national public audit projects from China and performed a comprehensive analysis of 85 relevant audit documentation. The textual analysis was conducted using Nvivo12 software, and the grounded theory approach was adopted for generalization purposes.
Findings
Based on the research results, the findings suggest that there are five key causes contributing to the audit risk of national construction projects: professional competence, risk awareness, management capacity, level of attention and deliberate fraud. The most critical factor identified is management capability, with 59.93% of the data supporting this view. This conclusion was based on an analysis of state-owned enterprises, administrative organs and public institutions. Building upon this, a framework titled “the mechanism of audit risk factors with management capability as the core” was constructed.
Originality/value
This paper employs qualitative analysis methods to examine national construction projects in China, contributing new literature to the theoretical study of audit risk management. The article also provides practical recommendations for auditors on how to mitigate audit risks and improve the quality of audit services in national project governance.
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