Norbert Czinkan and Áron Horváth
The purpose of the paper is to investigate a cross section of Hungarian settlement-level unit housing prices with a special emphasis on measuring the effect of population and its…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to investigate a cross section of Hungarian settlement-level unit housing prices with a special emphasis on measuring the effect of population and its growth, along with accessibility to the centre of an aggregated spatial unit such as a micro-region, county or region, for the period of 2001-2011.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis uses cross-sectional ordinary least squares techniques with Moulton-corrected standard errors. The estimation is guided by the implications of a simplified monocentric urbanized area framework following the model of DiPasquale and Wheaton (1996), and the econometric model is augmented with population growth rate at the settlement level to bridge the theory explaining rents and data base containing prices instead.
Findings
The location is a key factor in determining housing prices: living 10 min further from the centre results in 11 per cent cheaper housing. When estimating bid-rent curves, results show that it is crucial to control for city size and the income effect. The elasticity of housing price with respect to city size is 0.09 according to our preferred model. Population growth has an asymmetric impact on housing prices: municipalities with positive expected population growth have higher prices today.
Practical implications
Estimating the quantitative relationship between commuting time and housing price is crucial for a cautious infrastructure development. The benefits of improved roads and faster access could be capitalized in appreciating the housing stock. Estimating the slope of the bid-rent curve is one possible ex ante quantification of the benefits of a public development.
Originality/value
One contribution of this research is providing empirical evidence to surprisingly limited applied work in the field of (monocentric) urban models using data from the CEE region. Second, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate Hungarian settlement-level unit prices from an urban economic point of view.
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Michael Roskams, Barry Haynes, Pyoung-Jik Lee and Sang-Hee Park
This paper aims to determine the extent to which employees’ experiences of acoustic comfort, well-being and productivity in open-plan offices are determined by specific…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to determine the extent to which employees’ experiences of acoustic comfort, well-being and productivity in open-plan offices are determined by specific characteristics (including demographic information, task characteristics, and personality traits).
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was distributed to the occupants of three open-plan office sites and was completed by 166 employees in total.
Findings
The results indicated that acoustic comfort in open-plan offices is largely determined by noise sensitivity. Higher noise sensitivity was associated with more negative ratings of acoustical quality, more perceived disturbance by speech and more difficulties in concentration. More negative experiences were also reported by employees with lower interactivity with colleagues.
Practical implications
There is significant inter-individual variability in experiences of acoustic comfort, well-being and productivity in open-plan offices. As such, workplace practitioners should consider acoustic and behavioural solutions for introducing a greater diversity of functional workspaces within the office, so that employees can choose the most suitable working area for their requirements.
Originality/value
Whereas the majority of past acoustics research has been laboratory-based, this study is conducted in real office environments with a representative sample of knowledge workers.
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Andrés J. Navarro-Paule, M. Mercedes Romerosa-Martínez and Francisco Javier Lloréns-Montes
This paper aims to explain how small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs) create information technology (IT) business value through blended IT outsourcing (ITO). The explanatory…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explain how small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs) create information technology (IT) business value through blended IT outsourcing (ITO). The explanatory framework it proposes enables SMEs to replicate IT capability outcomes (i.e. enhance their economic, strategic and technological competences, namely, ITO success) by endorsing an ITO strategy catalyzed by IT vendor integration.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses covariance-based structural equation modeling to test the proposed research model. Data are collected from 251 knowledge-intensive business SMEs located in Science and Technology Parks in Spain.
Findings
The results demonstrate empirically that SMEs can replicate IT capability benefits (i.e. enhance their non-IT competences) through blended ITO in which IT, conceptualized as a transversal supporting activity, is outsourced to an IT vendor while the value creation process remains with the buyer. The integration (i.e. process integration and information sharing) of an IT-proficient vendor catalyzes ITO success. More specifically, the results show that, although process integration is not directly related to competence enhancement, fosters information sharing, which directly facilitates ITO success. The results also show that IT vendor proficiency accounts for ex ante trust.
Practical implications
Managers should think of transformational ITO as a strategy to enhance firm competences. For blended ITO strategies to succeed, managers must have a comprehensive understanding of the business they run, as it is important to create conditions that foster inter-firm information sharing. To achieve these conditions, managers should take special care in selecting boundary spanners, who are the pivotal links in competence enhancement.
Originality/value
While most research focuses on ongoing trust (i.e. trust develops as ITO evolves), this study focuses on initial (i.e. ex ante) trust and analyzes IT vendor proficiency (expert, experienced and reputed) to examine trust as an antecedent of ITO. This study also draws on previous conceptualizations of vendor integration to develop and analyze a two-step integration model to explain how IT vendor integration (i.e. process integration and information sharing) catalyzes enhancement of the buyer’s non-IT competences. This study focuses on SMEs, which are often neglected in ITO studies.
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Michael Roskams and Barry Haynes
This paper aims to identify the employee characteristics which are most strongly associated with perceived requirements for different aspects of the workplace environment.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify the employee characteristics which are most strongly associated with perceived requirements for different aspects of the workplace environment.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was completed by 364 employees from a large private-sector organisation. Respondents were surveyed on different work-related, personality and demographic characteristics. They then completed a series of items measuring perceived requirements for four aspects of the workplace environment (workspace segregation, workspace territoriality, individual environmental control and aesthetic quality). Associations between employee characteristics and perceived workplace requirements were explored using multiple regression analyses.
Findings
Numerous significant associations emerged. For example, the requirement for more segregated workspaces was associated with higher susceptibility to distraction, and the requirement for higher workspace territoriality was associated with less positive perceptions regarding the impact of flexible working on work effectiveness.
Originality/value
The individual difference factors which moderate satisfaction with the workplace environment have received relatively little attention in past research. The present study addresses this knowledge gap by including a wider range of employee characteristics and comprehensively investigating which of these most strongly predict differences in perceived requirements for the workplace.
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Abhijeet Tewary and Vaishali Jadon
This research aims to analyze the literature on Quality 4.0 and pinpoint the essential factors contributing to its success. Additionally, the research aims to develop a framework…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to analyze the literature on Quality 4.0 and pinpoint the essential factors contributing to its success. Additionally, the research aims to develop a framework that can be used to create a capable workforce necessary for the successful implementation of Quality 4.0.
Design/methodology/approach
By following a systematic approach, the authors could ensure that their literature review was comprehensive and unbiased. Using a set of pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the authors screened 90 research articles to obtain the most relevant and reliable information for their study.
Findings
The authors' review identified essential findings, including the evolution of literature in the field of Quality 4.0 and the systematization of previous literature reviews focusing on training and development. The authors also identified several training barriers to implementing Quality 4.0 and proposed a model for building a competent workforce using Kolb's experiential learning model.
Practical implications
The authors' research offers insights into the training barriers that must be considered when building a competent workforce. Using the framework proposed in the authors' research, consultants and managers can better integrate Quality 4.0 into their organizations.
Social implications
The adoption of Quality 4.0 has significant social implications and is essential for advancing sustainability. It can improve efficiency, reduce waste, minimize environmental impacts and better meet the needs and expectations of stakeholders.
Originality/value
The authors' study stands out as one of the earliest reviews of the literature on Quality 4.0 to incorporate the theory-context-method (TCM) framework, allowing to provide unique insights into future research directions that had not been previously explored.
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Stefan Toepler and Christian Fröhlich
The growing trend towards closing the political space for civil society in authoritarian regimes has primarily targeted NGOs focused on rights-based advocacy. Drawing on a study…
Abstract
Purpose
The growing trend towards closing the political space for civil society in authoritarian regimes has primarily targeted NGOs focused on rights-based advocacy. Drawing on a study of disability NGOs in Russia, this paper seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the advocacy options that nonprofit organizations have even in repressive political contexts. The authors first review the extant literature to identify common actors, types and tactics and then trace what types of advocacy Russian NGOs are engaged in and what tactics they are able to utilize.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical part of this paper is based on 20 interviews conducted among active participants in disability NGOs in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Perm and Nizhniy Novgorod. Despite not being a representative sample of organizations, the selection of cities and organizations was intended to reflect spatial and structural factors of the field.
Findings
The authors find that NGOs are able to pursue a broad range of advocacy activities despite a generally restrictive legal environment for civil society.
Research limitations/implications
Research on advocacy in authoritarian countries is often focused on NGOs that are primarily engaged in these activities. This has overshadowed the considerable leeway that nonprofit service providers have to engage in advocacy.
Practical implications
Service-providing NGOs should not forsake advocacy activities, even in authoritarian contexts, but can find access points in the political system and should seek to utilize their voice on behalf of their clients.
Social implications
Despite general restrictions, NGOs can still find ways to successfully secure social rights, justice and solidarity, provided they accept the supremacy of the state in social policy and appeal to the state's responsibility for the welfare of its citizens without directly questioning the overall status quo too heavily.
Originality/value
We develop a broad framework for various advocacy forms and activities and apply it to nonprofit service providers.
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CORPORATE STRATEGISTS ARE NOT CELEBRITIES. They're rarely household names. But, increasingly, it's their work that is shaping America's corporations—allowing them to compete in a…
Abstract
CORPORATE STRATEGISTS ARE NOT CELEBRITIES. They're rarely household names. But, increasingly, it's their work that is shaping America's corporations—allowing them to compete in a decade that's turning out to be far more challenging, stressful, and, nonetheless, exciting than we'd expected. In an effort to ferret out strategic planning's unsung heroes, to put titles to challenges, names to titles, and faces to names, we cast a wide net. We scoured the business press. We checked in with our advisory board as well as our regular and occasional contributors. We asked subscribers, Wall Street analysts, academics, and even the people we interviewed for other articles. In particular, we were looking for individuals whose names are not familiar, who bring unusual backgrounds to their tasks, who have recently taken on new assignments, or who, because of the company they work for, face remarkable, difficult, and unusual challenges. According to our sources, those strategists we found, whose names, titles, and challenges appear on the next four pages, share a unique capacity for visualizing where they want to be, for solving problems, and then for doing what is necessary to carry their visions through. We'll be charting their success—watch for updates in JBS as the year goes on.
Adriana Ito, Torbjörn Ylipää, Per Gullander, Jon Bokrantz, Victor Centerholt and Anders Skoogh
Resistance is expected to emerge with the implementation and use of new technologies in production systems. This work focuses on identifying sources of resistance to the use of…
Abstract
Purpose
Resistance is expected to emerge with the implementation and use of new technologies in production systems. This work focuses on identifying sources of resistance to the use of Industry 4.0 technologies when managing production disturbances and suitable managerial approaches to deal with them.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was chosen in this research. The authors conducted a literature review and a series of interviews. Thirty-one papers from the literature review were analysed, and 16 people from five different companies were interviewed.
Findings
The authors identified five different sources of resistance and three managerial approaches to dealing with them. The sources of resistance were based on (1) feelings of over-supervision, (2) unclear values, (3) feelings of inadequacy, (4) concerns about loss of power and jobs and (5) work overload. The three approaches to dealing with resistance are (1) communication, (2) participation and (3) training.
Originality/value
This work identifies the sources and strategies to deal with resistance to the use of Industry 4.0 technologies in the management of production disturbances. The managerial literature in this area is limited, and to the authors's knowledge, the specific sources for resistance and strategies to deal with that in this topic have not been systematically investigated before.
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This study examined how social media influencers create and leverage followers' attachment to deliver marketing messages by applying human brand theory and attachment theory.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examined how social media influencers create and leverage followers' attachment to deliver marketing messages by applying human brand theory and attachment theory.
Design/methodology/approach
An online self-administered survey by 490 US adults who are Millennials (27–40) or Generation Z (18–26) in 2020 and currently following any specific social media influencer was conducted and analyzed.
Findings
The results suggest that homophily, social presence and attractiveness create a greater attachment. Attachment enhances followers' loyalty to the influencer and advertising credibility and reduces their resistance to advertising, whereas it does not affect advertising perception.
Research limitations/implications
This study suggests the significance of emotional bonding which explains the recent industry shifts targeting “micro-influencers” and long-term partnerships. The attachment to the influencer leads the followers to become loyal, credit marketing messages and lower the resistance without altering the perception as advertising.
Originality/value
This study identifies how attachment affects the followers' perception and response to the marketing message delivered by the influencer while previous studies were limited to the formulation process of attachment.
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Seth Ampadu, Yuanchun Jiang, Samuel Adu Gyamfi, Emmanuel Debrah and Eric Amankwa
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of perceived value of recommended product on consumer’s e-loyalty, based on the proposition of expectation confirmation theory…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of perceived value of recommended product on consumer’s e-loyalty, based on the proposition of expectation confirmation theory. Vendors’ reputation is tested as the mediator in the perceived value of recommended product and e-loyalty relationship, whereas shopping enjoyment is predicted as the moderator that conditions the perceived value of recommended product and e-loyalty relationship through vendors reputation.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected via an online survey platform and through a QR code. Partial least squares analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to verify the research proposed model.
Findings
The findings revealed that the perceived value of recommended product had a significant positive effect on E-loyalty; in addition, the perceived value of the recommended product and e-loyalty link was partly explained by e-shopper’s confidence in vendor reputation. Therefore, the study established that the direct and indirect relationship between the perceived value of the recommended product and e-loyalty was sensitive and profound to shopping enjoyment.
Originality/value
This study has established that the perceived value of a recommended product can result in consumer loyalty. This has successively provided the e-shop manager and other stakeholders with novel perspectives about why it is necessary to understand consumers’ pre- and postacquisition behavior before recommending certain products to the consumer.