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1 – 10 of 10This chapter reflects on a media studies project exploring Sylvia Plath poetry on Tumblr. The project ultimately resulted in excess digital data, with no conventional publications…
Abstract
This chapter reflects on a media studies project exploring Sylvia Plath poetry on Tumblr. The project ultimately resulted in excess digital data, with no conventional publications or research outputs. Now writing 10 years after data collection, I take a storying approach to explore the original research concerns and the research process, thereby locating a reconfigured ‘research event’ that draws together various biographical, social, political and historical factors. I reflect on my evolving understanding of ‘research’, discussing early teaching experiences and postgraduate pathways that partly structured a particular relationship to research. This serves to bridge a discussion about the challenges of the initial process over a decade ago, including the uncomfortable pairing of inexperience among aspiring researchers and institutional pressures to publish. I then discuss the theoretical perspectives that inspire and, in retrospect, offer clarity for the project, given the amount of time passed since data collection and the synergistic relationship between the storying approach, poststructuralist thought and story-focused methodologies. I argue that Tumblr provides unique opportunities for identity negotiation, aesthetic appreciation, data extraction and commodification, which highlights both the creative agency of digital aesthetic curation and self-work, as well as the importance of algorithmic transparency. I also contend that engaging with excess data led to methodologically and theoretically useful insights, challenging assumptions about the temporality of usable data and the ever-changing relationship between art, technology and freedom.
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Adisu Fanta Bate, Luke Pittaway and Danka Sàndor
How national culture induces entrepreneurship and business growth remains elusive in research. Questions remain, for example, how can we determine whether a given national culture…
Abstract
Purpose
How national culture induces entrepreneurship and business growth remains elusive in research. Questions remain, for example, how can we determine whether a given national culture is good or bad for entrepreneurial activities? What are those pro-entrepreneurship national culture dimensions that could be promoted across nations? These questions are yet open for discussion. The purpose of the study seeks to address these questions and unveil how various national cultural dimensions affect entrepreneurship in different national contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
The systematic literature review (SLR) method is meticulously applied. Key terms related to Hofstede’s national culture dimensions are traced alongside entrepreneurial aspects associated with entrepreneurial actions and orientations. By developing series of search queries from these terms, studies within the Web of Science and EBSCO databases are explored.
Findings
The review reveals that individualism, long-term orientation, low power distance, feminism, indulgence and low uncertainty avoidance dimensions of culture enable and foster entrepreneurial activities across countries. This study proposes that they be considered Hofstede’s pro-entrepreneurship cultural dimensions. The research suggests that countries endowed with more of these cultural factors tend to create favorable conditions for entrepreneurship. The authors argue that the bundling of these cultural dimensions makes a difference in entrepreneurial performance, not the isolated effect of individual dimensions.
Practical implications
The study reveals the intricate relationship between national culture and entrepreneurship, a relationship that is particularly crucial in today’s globalized work environment and cross-cultural entrepreneurship. The findings underscore the significant role of national culture in shaping the entrepreneurial activities of nations. To enhance the effectiveness of entrepreneurial practices, it is essential to consider the cultural context of societies. While the review does not identify a specific national culture dimension that distinguishes developing countries from developed ones in terms of entrepreneurial performance, it does suggest that promoting pro-entrepreneurship national cultural dimensions, rather than individual dimensions in isolation, can create a fertile ground for entrepreneurship to thrive.
Originality/value
This study significantly advances the understanding of the relationship between national culture and entrepreneurship, considering Hofstede’s six national cultural dimensions and their respective and concurrent influences. This research provides a clearer framework for understanding and promoting cultures that support entrepreneurship, particularly by focusing on how cultural “bundling” rather than isolated traits can drive success in entrepreneurship across different countries. The study also offers practical suggestions to stakeholders on how to promote a pro-entrepreneurship national culture. The use of the SLR methodology enhances the reliability of the findings, shedding light on the most critical national cultural dimensions that must be configured to achieve the maximum returns from entrepreneurial endeavors.
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Colin J. Beck and Mlada Bukovansky
While oft-ignored, grievances remain a central part of revolutions. We argue that the theorization of grievances requires conceptually unpacking specific complaints and relating…
Abstract
While oft-ignored, grievances remain a central part of revolutions. We argue that the theorization of grievances requires conceptually unpacking specific complaints and relating them to mobilizing mechanisms. We thus focus on one set of grievances – corruption – that is especially prevalent in 21st century revolutionary episodes. Drawing on prior conceptualizations of corruption, we hypothesize that four different configurations of corruption influence five different mechanisms of contention. First, everyday street-level corruption creates the potential for sudden and spontaneous protest and creates the basis for widespread, coalitional mobilization. Second, institutional corruption focuses attention on the regime to make it a target of revolutionary claims. Third, competition among elites creates the potential for cross-class alliances but may forestall durable sociopolitical change and, in some cases, even allow for authoritarian consolidation of power through anti-corruption drives. We illustrate these dynamics through one clearly successful case of revolution in Tunisia in 2011, one case of mixed results from political revolution in Ukraine from 2004 to 2014, and a negative case of revolution in China since 2013.
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Aparna Bhatia and Meenu Khurana
The study aims to investigate the relationship between certain key attributes of the board of directors as their international experience, tenure, age, independence and size and…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to investigate the relationship between certain key attributes of the board of directors as their international experience, tenure, age, independence and size and internationalization strategies of firms in an emerging economy.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses random effects panel Tobit regression on a data set of 418 Indian companies spanning over a time frame of nine years from fiscal year (F.Y.) 2009–2010 to F.Y. 2017–2018.
Findings
Board members substantially associate with internationalization choices of emerging economy firms. Specifically, board members with extensive international experience, shorter tenure, higher age, greater independence and larger board size are associated with high level of internationalization in these firms.
Research limitations/implications
The study advocates that Indian companies should focus on recruiting board members with international experience, periodically refreshing their boards, valuing wisdom and experience, adhering to regulatory requirements of independent directors and increase the number of board members to expand internationally. By following this, Indian companies can successfully expand into international markets.
Originality/value
The study’s originality lies in its focus on the role of board members in the internationalization strategy of emerging economy firms, which remains an under-researched area.
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Helen Ruth Hodges, Lucy J. Griffiths, Laura Elizabeth Cowley, Michael Jeanne Childs and Jonathan Scourfield
Linked data can provide unique insights into both the need for social care services and the outcomes of intervention. Crucially, these insights will be based on much more…
Abstract
Purpose
Linked data can provide unique insights into both the need for social care services and the outcomes of intervention. Crucially, these insights will be based on much more representative coverage of the population of people receiving social care than is achieved by surveys and they are not subject to the reporting bias that can arise in relation to stigmatised services.
Design/methodology/approach
The opportunities are expanding for linking together routine administrative data from different public services, e.g. health care, social care, education and criminal justice. These linked data can be used for research in trusted research environments which are very secure and where no researcher can identify individuals. Work is rapidly developing using children’s social care data.
Findings
Much of the data linkage research using children’s social care data is being conducted by data scientists and medical researchers without knowledge of the sector, and very few social care or social work specialists who have that knowledge are involved in these studies.
Originality/value
This viewpoint piece argues the need for social care and social work research to embrace data linkage. What is needed is an integration of methods expertise in linked data and substantive knowledge of children’s social care work. The arguments are illustrated with reference to some recent research in Wales.
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This paper aims to study the effect of short-term firm-level exposure on managerial change during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Chinese economy. Such a link is not explored in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the effect of short-term firm-level exposure on managerial change during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Chinese economy. Such a link is not explored in the existing COVID-19 and resource-based theory (RBT) literature.
Design/methodology/approach
The logit regression model is utilized to examine the effect of short-term exposure on the probability of managerial change in the Chinese economy. Logit models based on coarsened exact matching (CEM) are also used in the robustness checks part of the study. The results are robust to different specifications.
Findings
The obtained findings show that short-term exposure has a significantly positive effect on the probability of managerial change during the pandemic.
Research limitations/implications
Under the RBT approach, this study sheds new light on the relationship between short-term financial exposure and managerial change under uncertainty during the pandemic.
Practical implications
C-Suite executives need to be prepared for short-term sudden shocks. According to the findings of the study, the relationship between short-term sudden shocks and short-term financial exposure is a factor that C-suite executives should pay attention to.
Social implications
Short-term sudden shocks can support managerial change, pushing society into uncertainty and negatively affecting the private sector. In this context, it has a structure that can amplify uncertainty.
Originality/value
In the existing COVID-19 literature, the effect of short-term exposure on the probability of managerial change is under researched, especially in the emerging markets-based RBT and COVID-19 literature. The present study offers an insight into the link between short-term exposure and the probability of managerial change during the pandemic.
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Teresa Sanchez-Chaparro, Victor Gomez-Frias, Fernando Onrubia and Maria Jesus Sanchez-Naranjo
This study aims to explore the emerging trend of business-wide Sustainability Third-Party Labels (STPLs), exemplified by entities like B-Corp. These labels are awarded to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the emerging trend of business-wide Sustainability Third-Party Labels (STPLs), exemplified by entities like B-Corp. These labels are awarded to organizations committed to a distinctive approach to business, typically embracing the triple-bottom-line (TBL) framework, prioritizing not only financial performance but also social and environmental impact. The research investigates whether these labels enhance trust and influence perceptions of sustainability information quality among young consumers in Spain.
Design/methodology/approach
A factorial experiment has been conducted among a convenience sample of individuals belonging to the Z-generation (n = 126). The experiment involved randomly exposing the participants to different versions of an informational brochure from a fictional company in the agricultural sector (with and without label). Following the experiment, a focus group with 15 participants was conducted to assist in interpreting the results.
Findings
The results of this study suggest that the use of a nonsector specific label across various sectors with distinct sustainability challenges can lead to confusion among Z-generation consumers. Especially within sectors grappling with environmental concerns, such labels may be susceptible to being perceived as manifestations of greenwashing. Additionally, the study adds supporting evidence to the existing body of literature asserting gender differences in the interpretation of sustainability signals, including labels.
Originality/value
As far as this research is concerned, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research that studies the perception of Z-generation members regarding business-wide STPLs. Focusing on studying, the attitudes toward sustainability of younger generations and how they respond to signals like business-wide STPLs are relevant, as they not only possess the longevity to drive substantial change but are also more susceptible to behavioral shifts, thereby holding significant potential in shaping a sustainable future. The study combines both qualitative and quantitative perspective and provides critical insights, relevant to stakeholders within business-wide STPL ecosystems, emphasizing the need for strategic coherence and transparency in label implementation.
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A learning-focused culture promotes creativity, innovativeness and the acquisition of novel insights and competencies. The study aims to explore the relationship between human…
Abstract
Purpose
A learning-focused culture promotes creativity, innovativeness and the acquisition of novel insights and competencies. The study aims to explore the relationship between human resource development (HRD) practice and employee competencies using organizational learning culture as a mediating variable.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 828 employees of 37 health care institutions comprising 24 (internationally-owned) and 13 (indigenously-owned). Construct reliability and validity was established through a confirmatory factor analysis. The proposed model and hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Data supported the hypothesized relationships. The results show that training and development and employee competencies were significantly related. Career development and employee competencies were significantly related. Organizational learning culture mediates the relationship between training and development and employee competencies. However, organizational learning culture did not mediate the relationship between career development and employee competencies.
Research limitations/implications
The generalizability of the findings will be constrained due to the research’s health care focus and cross-sectional data.
Practical implications
The study’s findings will serve as valuable pointers to policy makers and stakeholders of health care institutions in developing system-level capacities that promote continuous learning and adaptive learning cultures to ensure sustainability and competitive advantage.
Originality/value
By evidencing empirically that organizational learning culture mediates the relationship between HRD practices and employee competencies the study extends the literature.
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