Michael D. Phillips, Dong Y. Nyonna, John X. Volker, Ashton B. Weddington and Tim L. Williams
This paper aims to argue that important elements in the capital budgeting process are either undervalued or not considered and are a significant reason for both low and slow…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to argue that important elements in the capital budgeting process are either undervalued or not considered and are a significant reason for both low and slow growth in large firms. Adopting an entrepreneurial mindset in conjunction with a portfolio approach based on different types of innovation to allow for growth projects to enter the process and be evaluated for possible selection are outlined as an alternative to strengthen the capital budgeting process.
Design/methodology/approach
Concepts and processes drawn from the finance, economics and entrepreneurship literature are used to form a proposed new approach to the capital budgeting process.
Findings
Only a handful of large firms even achieve returns more than their cost of capital. This manuscript argues that the reason for the lack of growth is a function of a capital budgeting process that does not allow the full spectrum of risk projects because of behavioral factors. This manuscript further proposes a portfolio approach that would allow for all projects to be fairly considered and aligned with stakeholder interests.
Originality/value
The current literature tends to focus on the financial evaluative aspect of the capital budgeting process. The void in the literature is with other aspects of the capital budgeting process both in terms of currency and in pursuing alternative explanations for the reasons the full risk spectrum of projects is not considered.
Details
Keywords
Fernanda Leão and Delfina Gomes
In the context of Portugal, this study examines the stereotypes of accountants held by laypeople and how they are influenced by financial crises and accounting scandals.
Abstract
Purpose
In the context of Portugal, this study examines the stereotypes of accountants held by laypeople and how they are influenced by financial crises and accounting scandals.
Design/methodology/approach
To better understand the social images of accountants, the authors adopt a structural approach based on the big five model (BFM) of personality. The authors test this approach on a Portuguese community sample (N = 727) using a questionnaire survey. The results are analyzed considering the socioanalytic theory.
Findings
The results suggest the existence of a stereotype dominated by features of conscientiousness, which is related to the superior performance of work tasks across job types. This feature comprises the core characteristics of the traditional accountant stereotype, which survives in a context challenged by financial scandals and crises. The findings highlight the social acceptance of accountants as an occupational group but do not suggest the possibility of accountants benefiting from the highest levels of social status when considered in relation to the traditional accountant stereotype.
Originality/value
By combining the BFM and the socioanalytic theory, this study provides a unique theoretical approach to better understand the social images of accountants. The findings demonstrate the suitability of using the BFM to study the social perceptions of accountants. They also indicate a paradox based on the survival of the traditional stereotype. This stereotype appears to be resistant to scandals and financial crisis, instead of being impaired, giving rise to another prototype with concerns about integrity.
Details
Keywords
Cinzia Calluso and Maria Giovanna Devetag
This study aims to investigate some individual factors that may positively/negatively impact upon the willingness to use AI-assisted hiring procedures (AI-WtU). Specifically, the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate some individual factors that may positively/negatively impact upon the willingness to use AI-assisted hiring procedures (AI-WtU). Specifically, the authors contribute to the ongoing discussion by testing the specific role of individuals’ personality traits and their attitude toward technology acceptance.
Design/methodology/approach
Data have been collected from a cohort of workers (n = 157) to explore their individual level of AI-WtU, their personality traits and level of technology acceptance, along with a series of control variables including age, gender, education, employment status, knowledge and previous experience of AI-assisted hiring.
Findings
The results obtained show the significant role played by a specific personality trait –conscientiousness – and technology acceptance in shaping the level of AI-WtU. Importantly, technology acceptance also mediates the relationship between AI-WtU and conscientiousness, thus suggesting that conscientious people may be more willing to engage in AI-assisted practices, as they see technologies as means of improving reliability and efficiency. Further, the study also shows that previous experience with AI-assisted hiring in the role of job applicants has a negative effect on AI-WtU, suggesting a prevailing negative experience with such tools, and the consequent urge for their improvement.
Originality/value
This study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, is the first to test the potential role of personality traits in shaping employees AI-WtU and to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue by additionally testing the joint effect of technology acceptance, age, gender, education, employment status and knowledge and previous experience of AI-assisted hiring in shaping individual AI-WtU.
Details
Keywords
Johanna Innerhofer, Luigi Nasta and Anita Zehrer
Although the role of human capital in the hospitality sector is critical, the industry faces challenges in attracting workers with a poor industry image frequently mentioned…
Abstract
Purpose
Although the role of human capital in the hospitality sector is critical, the industry faces challenges in attracting workers with a poor industry image frequently mentioned regarding labor shortages. This research paper attempts to investigate the factors influencing labor shortages by presenting the perspectives of employees and employers.
Design/methodology/approach
Precisely 232 rural hospitality industry employees (n = 128) and employers (n = 104) in Northern Italy were surveyed using a written close-ended online survey and a quantitative research design as part of a convenience sampling approach. For hypotheses testing, Spearman's rho was used.
Findings
A relationship between the shortage of professional workers and a variety of factors was found, including professional, digital, social and green skills, industry-intrinsic characteristics and symbolic image attributes of the industry. The findings show that some factors are more important for employees, while others are more significant for employers.
Practical implications
This study demonstrates several practical implications for the hospitality sector by addressing the under-researched stakeholder group of existing hospitality employees, e.g. improving working conditions, reduction of manual operations through digital technologies, realistic career planning, employer branding, identification of skill deficiencies and provision of specialized trainings.
Originality/value
Most research on labor shortages in the hospitality industry has focused on the perspective of either employees or employers. This study compares both perspectives, including the industry image, to gain a realistic picture of the relevant factors for a rural tourism destination in Northern Italy.
Details
Keywords
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a discoursal approach on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability. A Quick Placement Test (QPT) was…
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a discoursal approach on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension ability. A Quick Placement Test (QPT) was used to select 60 intermediate EFL learners as the participants of this study. Then, they were divided into experimental and control groups. Each group consisted of 30 learners. Prior to the treatment, the participants of both groups were given a pre-test to determine their reading comprehension levels. The experimental group was exposed to the Hymes’ model. In the control group the researcher used a traditional approach for teaching the reading skill. Then a post-test was administered to both groups. An independent samples t-test between post-tests of the study and a paired-samples t-test between the pre-test and post-test of the groups of the study were run. The results of the study indicated that applying Hymes’ model improved the learners’ reading comprehension while the traditional approach did not.
ﻛﺎ ن اﻟ ﮭد ف ﻣ ن ھذه اﻟ د را ﺳﺔ ھو اﻟﺗﺣ ﻘﯾ ق ﻓ ﻲ ﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر اﻟﻧﮭ ﺞ اﻟﺗد ر ﯾﺑ ﻲ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻗد ر ة اﻟ ط ﻼ ب ا ﻹ ﯾ ر اﻧ ﯾﯾ ن ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺗ ﻌﻠ م اﻟﻘ ر ا ءة واﻟ ﻛﺗﺎﺑ ﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ ا ﻹﻧ ﺟﻠﯾ زﯾﺔ ﻛﻠ ﻐﺔ أ ﺟﻧﺑﯾﺔ. ﺗم ا ﺳﺗ ﺧدام ا ﺧﺗﺑﺎ ر ﺗ ﺣدﯾد اﻟ ﻣ ﺳﺗ و ى اﻟ ﺳرﯾ ﻊ (QPT) ( ﻟﻠﺗﺄ ﻛد ﻣ ن ﺗ ﺟﺎﻧ س ﻣﺗ ﻌﻠ ﻣ ﻲ اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ اﻹ ﻧ ﺟﻠﯾ زﯾ ﺔ ﻛﻠ ﻐﺔ أ ﺟﻧﺑﯾ ﺔ اﻟذﯾ ن ﻛﺎﻧ وا ﻓ ﻲ ﻓ ﺻ ﻠﯾ ن د را ﺳﯾﯾ ن. ﺛم، ﺗم ﺗﻘ ﺳﯾ ﻣﮭم ﺑ ﺷﻛل ﻋﺷواﺋ ﻲ إﻟ ﻰ ﻣ ﺟﻣوﻋﺎ ت ﺗ ﺟرﯾﺑﯾ ﺔ وﻣراﻗﺑ ﺔ. ﻛل ﻣ ﺟﻣوﻋﺔ ﺗﺗﺄﻟ ف ﻣ 30 ﻣﺗ ﻌﻠ ﻣﺎ. ﻗﺑ ل اﻟ ﻌ ﻼج، ﺗم إ ﻋطﺎ ء اﻟ ﻣ ﺷﺎ رﻛﯾ ن ﻣ ن ﻛ ﻼ اﻟ ﻣ ﺟﻣوﻋﺗﯾ ن ﻗﺑ ل ا ﻻﺧﺗﺑﺎ ر ﻟﺗ ﺣدﯾد ﻣ ﺳﺗ وﯾﺎ ت اﻟ ﻔ ﮭم اﻟ ﻘ ر ا ءة ﻟ دﯾ ﮭم. ﺗ ﻌر ﺿ ت اﻟﻣ ﺟ ﻣو ﻋ ﺔ اﻟ ﺗ ﺟ ر ﯾﺑﯾ ﺔ ﻟﻧ ﻣو ذ ج اﻟ ﺗ ر اﺗﯾ ل . ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻣ ﺟ ﻣو ﻋ ﺔ اﻟ ﺿ ﺎﺑ ط ﺔ، ا ﺳ ﺗ ﺧ دم اﻟ ﺑﺎ ﺣ ث اﻟﻣﻧ ﮭ ﺞ اﻟ ﺗﻘﻠﯾد ي ﻟﺗد ر ﯾ س ﻣﮭﺎ ر ة اﻟ ﻘ ر ا ءة. ﺛم ﺗدا ر ﺑ ﻌد ا ﻻ ﺧ ﺗﺑﺎ ر ﻟ ﻛ ﻼ اﻟ ﻔ ر ﯾﻘﯾ ن . ﺗم إ ﺟ ر ا ء ا ﺧ ﺗﺑﺎ ر ﻣ ﺳ ﺗﻘ ل ﻟ ﻌﯾﻧﺎ ت t ﺑﯾن ا ﻻ ﺧ ﺗﺑ ﺎ ر ﯾ ن اﻟﻼ ﺣ ﻘﯾ ن ﻟﻠد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ و ا ﺧ ﺗﺑﺎ ر t اﻟﻣﻘﺗ ر ن ﺑﺎﻟ ﻌﯾﻧﺎ ت ﺑﯾ ن ا ﻻ ﺧ ﺗﺑﺎ ر اﻟﻣ ﺳ ﺑ ق و ا ﻻ ﺧ ﺗﺑﺎ ر اﻟﻼ ﺣ ق ﻟ ﻣ ﺟ ﻣو ﻋ ﺎ ت اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ. أ ﺷ ﺎ ر ت ﻧﺗﺎﺋ ﺞ اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ إﻟﻰ أ ن ﺗ ط ﺑﯾ ق ﻧ ﻣو ذ ج ھ ﺎﯾ ﻣز ﻗد ﺣ ﺳ ن ﻣ ن ﻓ ﮭم اﻟ ﻘ ر ا ءة ﻟﻠﻣﺗ ﻌﻠ ﻣﯾ ن ﻓ ﻲ ﺣ ﯾ ن أ ن اﻟ ﻧ ﮭ ﺞ اﻟ ﺗﻘﻠﯾد ي ﻟ م ﯾﻔ ﻌل ذﻟ ك
Christina Morfaki and Apostolos Skotis
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature regarding the academic online learning experience under the lens of broad personality traits, in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the literature regarding the academic online learning experience under the lens of broad personality traits, in the transition from traditional to online learning due to global coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).
Design/methodology/approach
The systematic literature review is based on preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) method and includes indexed empirical studies in academic institutes during the period of COVID-19 outbreak.
Findings
Electronic sources identified 103 references; while after the elimination of duplicates and irrelevant titles, 42 papers were forwarded for abstract screening and later full-text assessment. Of these, 14 met the eligibility criteria. Finally, nine studies were included in the literature review profiling and in the qualitative analysis.
Originality/value
The research insights provided in this study are useful in terms of enhancing the view that link broad personality traits and various learning outcomes, during the necessitated transition to online learning by the public health emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Details
Keywords
The paper provides a detailed historical account of Douglass C. North's early intellectual contributions and analytical developments in pursuing a Grand Theory for why some…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper provides a detailed historical account of Douglass C. North's early intellectual contributions and analytical developments in pursuing a Grand Theory for why some countries are rich and others poor.
Design/methodology/approach
The author approaches the discussion using a theoretical and historical reconstruction based on published and unpublished materials.
Findings
The systematic, continuous and profound attempt to answer the Smithian social coordination problem shaped North's journey from being a young serious Marxist to becoming one of the founders of New Institutional Economics. In the process, he was converted in the early 1950s into a rigid neoclassical economist, being one of the leaders in promoting New Economic History. The success of the cliometric revolution exposed the frailties of the movement itself, namely, the limitations of neoclassical economic theory to explain economic growth and social change. Incorporating transaction costs, the institutional framework in which property rights and contracts are measured, defined and enforced assumes a prominent role in explaining economic performance.
Originality/value
In the early 1970s, North adopted a naive theory of institutions and property rights still grounded in neoclassical assumptions. Institutional and organizational analysis is modeled as a social maximizing efficient equilibrium outcome. However, the increasing tension between the neoclassical theoretical apparatus and its failure to account for contrasting political and institutional structures, diverging economic paths and social change propelled the modification of its assumptions and progressive conceptual innovation. In the later 1970s and early 1980s, North abandoned the efficiency view and gradually became more critical of the objective rationality postulate. In this intellectual movement, North's avant-garde research program contributed significantly to the creation of New Institutional Economics.
Details
Keywords
Zaira Camoiras-Rodriguez and Concepción Varela
This study aims to increase the understanding of the drivers of mobile shopping, by analyzing when and how two personality traits – value consciousness and shopping enjoyment �…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to increase the understanding of the drivers of mobile shopping, by analyzing when and how two personality traits – value consciousness and shopping enjoyment – impact mobile shopping intention through usefulness and ease-of-use perceptions.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the conditioned indirect effects, path analysis is used.
Findings
The results indicate that both consumers’ value consciousness and shopping enjoyment have a positive indirect effect on mobile shopping intention. However, shopping enjoyment is related only through usefulness, whereas value consciousness is related via both usefulness and ease of use. The results also suggest the need to consider boundary conditions when examining the impact of personality traits.
Practical implications
Mobile retailers need to conduct market segmentation based on users’ personalities when trying to increase their customer base.
Originality/value
Despite the relevance of personality traits on individual behavior, studies on the effects that different aspects of personality have on the participation of individuals in mobile commerce are very scarce and show inconsistent results regarding their impact. Thus, this study tries to contribute to the mobile commerce research by analyzing the interplay between two customer characteristics and two mediating variables: ease-of-use and usefulness perceptions.
Propósito
Esta investigación busca aumentar la comprensión de los antecedentes de las compras móviles, analizando cuándo y cómo dos rasgos de personalidad – conciencia de valor y disfrute por la compra – afectan a la intención de compra móvil a través de las percepciones de utilidad y facilidad de uso.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Para comprobar los efectos indirectos condicionados propuestos se emplea un análisis path.
Hallazgos
Los resultados indican que tanto la conciencia de valor como el disfrute por la compra de los consumidores tienen un efecto indirecto positivo en la intención de compra móvil. Sin embargo, el disfrute por la compra se relaciona sólo a través de la utilidad, mientras que la conciencia de valor se relaciona tanto a través de la utilidad como de la facilidad de uso. Los resultados también sugieren la necesidad de considerar factores moderadores al examinar el impacto de los rasgos de personalidad.
Implicaciones para la gestión
Los minoristas a través del móvil que quieran aumentar su base de clientes necesitan segmentar el mercado en base a la personalidad de los usuarios.
Originalidad/valor
A pesar de la relevancia que tienen los rasgos de personalidad en el comportamiento de los individuos, los estudios sobre los efectos de distintos aspectos de la personalidad sobre la participación de los individuos en el comercio móvil son muy escasos y muestran resultados inconsistentes. Así, este estudio intenta contribuir a la investigación sobre comercio móvil analizando la relación entre dos características del consumidor y dos variables mediadoras: las percepciones de facilidad de uso y utilidad.
Details
Keywords
Tünde Erdös, Joshua Wilt and Michael Tichelmann
Little is known about how individual differences play out in the process of authentic self-development (ASD) through workplace coaching. This article explores whether the Big Five…
Abstract
Purpose
Little is known about how individual differences play out in the process of authentic self-development (ASD) through workplace coaching. This article explores whether the Big Five personality traits and affective, behavioral, cognitive and desire (ABCDs) components of the Big Five personality traits were relevant to ASD, specifically examining the role of affect as a potential mediator.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 176 clients' personality was assessed pre-coaching. Aspects of ASD (perceived competence, goal commitment, self-concordance and goal stability) were assessed post-coaching. Clients' affect balance (AB) scores were obtained post-session.
Findings
Multilevel path models showed that higher levels of mean AB (but not the slope) mediated the associations between personality and perceived competence and goal commitment. Personality predicted goal self-concordance, but these effects were not mediated by AB, neither personality nor AB predicted goal stability.
Research limitations/implications
The authors encourage randomized controlled trials to further test findings of this study. Ruling out method variance is not possible completely. However, the authors put forth considerations to support the authors' claim that method variance did not overly influence our results.
Practical implications
These results suggest the necessity of an optimal experience of affect for ASD in workplace coaching and the understanding of how ABCDs, AB and ASD are related beyond coaching psychology.
Social implications
A deeper understanding of personality processes is important for fostering ASD to meet the challenges of management development in the authors' volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) world.
Originality/value
This is the first study to test personality as a process in workplace coaching linking personality to one of the most valued leadership skills: authenticity.
Details
Keywords
Reza Ghazavi and Haidar Ebrahimi
Groundwater is an important source of water supply in arid and semi-arid areas. The purpose of this study is to predict the impact of climate change on groundwater recharge in an…
Abstract
Purpose
Groundwater is an important source of water supply in arid and semi-arid areas. The purpose of this study is to predict the impact of climate change on groundwater recharge in an arid environment in Ilam Province, west of Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-dimensional transient groundwater flow model (modular finite difference groundwater FLOW model: MODFLOW) was used to simulate the impacts of three climate scenarios (i.e. an average of a long-term rainfall, predicted rainfall in 2015-2030 and three years moving average rainfall) on groundwater recharge and groundwater levels. Various climate scenarios in Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator were applied to predict weather data.
Findings
HadCM3 climatic model and A2 emission scenario were selected as the best methods for weather data generation. Based on the results of these models, annual precipitation will decrease by 3 per cent during 2015-2030. For three emission scenarios, i.e. an average of a long-term rainfall, predicted rainfall in 2015-2030 and three years moving average rainfall, precipitation in 2030 is estimated to be 265, 257 and 247 mm, respectively. For the studied aquifer, predicted recharge will decrease compared to recharge calculated based on the average of long-term rainfall.
Originality/value
The decline of groundwater level in the study area was 11.45 m during the past 24 years or 0.48 m/year. Annual groundwater depletion should increase to 0.75 m in the coming 16 years via climate change. Climate change adaptation policies in the basin should include changing the crop type, as well as water productivity and irrigation efficiency enhancement at the farm and regional scales.