Leaking underground fuel storage tanks are a major environmental hazard in the U.S. Several studies have dealt with leaking tanks caused by external corrosion of the steel tanks…
Abstract
Leaking underground fuel storage tanks are a major environmental hazard in the U.S. Several studies have dealt with leaking tanks caused by external corrosion of the steel tanks. This review documents reports of tank leakage caused by internal corrosion and offers recommendations for preventing internal corrosion in underground tanks.
To best challenge students’ thinking, researchers and educators must locate or create innovative ways to spark enthusiasm and facilitate criticality. This paper investigates how…
Abstract
To best challenge students’ thinking, researchers and educators must locate or create innovative ways to spark enthusiasm and facilitate criticality. This paper investigates how middle school students analyzed various primary and secondary historical documents to construct original political cartoons. Students articulated newly generated understandings about the complex historical event within these original political cartoons. Students then examined and discussed peers’ original political cartoons. This approach was novel because the research literature indicated students rarely are asked to construct original political cartoons to express opinions and understandings. Political cartoons mostly are used as tools for interpretation and usually only with gifted and older students. This approach was successful because of the positive impact that original political cartooning had on students’ engagement, interpretational skills, criticality, expressivity, and the class’s discussions. The original political cartoons served as engaging teaching and learning tools that enabled students to see history’s complex and unsettled nature.
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Benjamin Vindry and Florence Gervais
With India becoming a strategic trading partner for France, the purpose of this paper is to identify and describe cultural differences between India and France in order to achieve…
Abstract
Purpose
With India becoming a strategic trading partner for France, the purpose of this paper is to identify and describe cultural differences between India and France in order to achieve three main objectives: What traits or values are salient for Indians when negotiating with French people? The second to assess the utility and appropriateness of cultural dimensions as described by Hofstede (1991, 2001) and Trompenaars (1993, 2004) to gain insight into this process, and finally to prepare a French businessman to negotiate with an Indian partner.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach is best to achieve the research objectives. Expert profiles were defined according to the guidelines set out by Bogner et al. (2009). Snowball sampling method was used, whereby the first French businessmen interviewed provided contacts of other negotiators. Six semi-directive interviews were conducted lasting 1 h and 30 min each. Data collection and analysis were carried out according to Gioia’s proposed methodology (Gioia et al., 2013).
Findings
This qualitative inquiry enabled a deep inductive analysis, resulting in the emergence of seven key characteristics of the negotiation process in India. Cultural dimensions as defined by Hofstede (1991, 2001) and Trompenaars (1993, 2004) are useful in explaining four of these. However, three other characteristics cannot be directly related to these cultural dimensions, and among them, the seventh characteristic, the importance of having an Indian mediator in the negotiation, emerges as an original and decisive advantage for the foreign partner.
Research limitations/implications
Interviewing a larger sample of experts would strengthen the precision, validity and reliability of the findings. Furthermore, investigating buyer–seller relationships and negotiation theories would help to gain an alternative and complementary insight into this complex topic.
Originality/value
Cultural differences between France and India are a poorly documented and under-researched topic.
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Federica Doni, Antonio Corvino and Silvio Bianchi Martini
Lately, sustainability issues are increasingly affecting all sectors, even if oil and gas industry is highly required to improve its social performance because of the societal…
Abstract
Purpose
Lately, sustainability issues are increasingly affecting all sectors, even if oil and gas industry is highly required to improve its social performance because of the societal pressure to environmental protection and social welfare. Sustainability concerns and corporate governance features and practices are more and more connected because sustainability has been perceived as a crucial topic by owners and managers. In this perspective, the empirical analysis aims to explore whether and to what extent, sustainability-oriented corporate governance model is linked with social performance.
Design/methodology/approach
By adopting a multi-theoretical framework that includes the legitimacy theory, the stakeholder theory and the resource-based view theory, this analysis used a sample of 42 large European-listed companies belonging to the oil and gas industry. The authors run fixed effects regression models by using a dependent variable, i.e. the social score, available in ASSET4 Thomson Reuters, and some independent variables focused on sustainable corporate governance models, stakeholder engagement, firm profitability, market value and corporate risk level.
Findings
Drawing upon the investigation of a moderating effect, findings display that stakeholder engagement is positively associated with corporate social performance and it can be considered an important internal driver able to shape a corporate culture and most likely to address corporate social responsibility issues.
Research limitations/implications
This study confirms the need to develop an organizational and holistic approach to corporate governance practices by analyzing internal and external governance mechanisms. From the managerial perspective, managers should opt for a sustainable corporate governance model, as it is positively correlated with corporate social performance.
Originality/value
There is an urgent need to investigate sustainability issues and their potential association with firm internal mechanisms, particularly in the oil and gas industry. This paper can extend the current body of knowledge by pointing out a positive relationship between stakeholder engagement and firm social performance.
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This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing is split into seven sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Marketing…
Abstract
This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing is split into seven sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Marketing strategy; Customer service; Promotion; Product management; Marketing research.
Donald F Kuratko, R.Duane Ireland and Jeffrey S Hornsby
Environmental uncertainty, turbulence, and heterogeneity create a host of strategic and operational challenges for today’s organizations (Brown & Eisenhardt, 1998). To cope with…
Abstract
Environmental uncertainty, turbulence, and heterogeneity create a host of strategic and operational challenges for today’s organizations (Brown & Eisenhardt, 1998). To cope with the challenge of simultaneously developing and nurturing both today’s and tomorrow’s core competencies, firms increasingly rely on effective use of corporate entrepreneurship (Covin & Miles, 1999). These facts make it imperative that managers at all levels actively participate in designing and implementing a strategy for corporate entrepreneurship actions. The recent literature reveals that there is a general although certainly not a complete consensus around the position that successful corporate entrepreneurship (CE) is linked to improvement in firm performance (Ireland et al., 2001). Covin, Ireland and Kuratko (2003) suggest that corporate entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized as a legitimate path to high levels of organizational performance and that the understanding of corporate entrepreneurship as a valid and effective practice with real, tangible benefits is occurring across firm type and managerial levels. Other researchers cite corporate entrepreneurship’s importance as a growth strategy (Kuratko, 1993; Kuratko et al., 1993; Merrifield, 1993; Pinchott, 1985; Zahra, 1991; Zahra & Covin, 1995; Zahra, Kuratko & Jennings, 1999). As an example, Dess, Lumpkin and McGee (1999) note that, “Virtually all organizations – new start-ups, major corporations, and alliances among global partners – are striving to exploit product-market opportunities through innovative and proactive behavior” – the type of behavior that is called for by corporate entrepreneurship. Barringer and Bluedorn (1999) suggested that in light of the dynamism and complexity of today’s environments, “…entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors are necessary for firms of all sizes to prosper and flourish.” Developing an internal environment that cultivates employees’ interest in and commitment to creativity and the innovation that can result from it contributes to successful competition in today’s competitive arenas. A valuable and appropriate internal organizational environment is a product of effective work (often within the context of corporate entrepreneurship) by managers at all levels (Floyd & Lane, 2000).
Afshar Bazyar, Morteza Abbasi and Shayan Naghdi Khanachah
This research aims to investigate the impact of servant leadership on knowledge management and its subsequent connection to cost-saving innovation. The study further explored…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to investigate the impact of servant leadership on knowledge management and its subsequent connection to cost-saving innovation. The study further explored these relationships by examining the mediating roles of innovation capabilities and technological volatility.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is applied in purpose and employs a descriptive-survey method for data collection. It follows a qualitative-quantitative approach, utilizing expert interviews in the qualitative phase. The sample consists of 35 managers and expert professors with knowledge management experience in universities and high-tech industries, selected through the snowball method. Data collected from Iranian organizations were analyzed using AMOS software.
Findings
The results revealed a positive correlation between servant leadership and knowledge management. Knowledge management demonstrated a significant positive relationship with cost-saving innovation. Additionally, technological volatility and innovation capabilities were identified as crucial factors influencing the connection between knowledge management and innovation, particularly in promoting frugality.
Originality/value
While this research provides a comprehensive model, it acknowledges specific limitations that warrant further investigation. The study predominantly focused on Iranian organizations, suggesting an opportunity to broaden its scope to include diverse organizational perspectives from various cultural and geographical contexts. Moreover, a promising avenue for future research involves exploring entrepreneurial orientation as a potential mediating variable. Given its significant impact on organizational dynamics, introducing entrepreneurial orientation could enhance our understanding of its effects on both knowledge management and the promotion of frugal innovation. This expansion may illuminate the intricate interplay between entrepreneurial orientation, knowledge processes and innovative practices, contributing to a more sophisticated discussion on effective organizational strategies.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between innovative behavior and firm performance to determine empirically whether managers’ innovative behavior impacts…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between innovative behavior and firm performance to determine empirically whether managers’ innovative behavior impacts directly or indirectly on firm performance through innovative output. A proposed conceptual model is tested with the moderating effects of environmental dynamism.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical study tests the conceptual model of a multi-industry sample of Tunisian small and medium-sized enterprises. For this analysis the author applies the partial least squares (PLS) technique using the software package SmartPLS, version 2.0.
Findings
Empirical findings reveal that innovative behavior acts on innovation output thus having a positive and significant effect on business performance. Direct effect on business performance is found to be positive but weakly significant. These positive relationships tend to decrease when market conditions are highly dynamic.
Practical implications
Managers should be aware of the strategic potential of their innovative skills which can reinforce a firm’s innovativeness in order to improve business performance.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a model showing how a manager’s innovative behavior affects innovation output thus enhancing firm performance. The proposed conceptual model gives a more specific vision with the introduction of environmental dynamism as a moderating factor.
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Ferdaws Ezzi, Bassem Salhi and Anis Jarboui
This study aims to focus on the important role of chief executive directors (CEOs’) emotional intelligence to explain the interactive relationship between research and development…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to focus on the important role of chief executive directors (CEOs’) emotional intelligence to explain the interactive relationship between research and development (R&D) investment and environmental performance in the energy sector and also to explain how the diversification into new energy technology provides explanations for environmental problems.
Design/methodology/approach
This research was realised through the completion of a questionnaire-type inquiry structured around table-based analysis. Two five-scale questionnaires were completed by CEOs relating to oil and gas industry. The first instrument reflects the level of emotional intelligence. The second instrument indicates elements of environmental performance. A total of 158 firms were approached using a questionnaire, where 112 responses were received and 108 valid responses were used for analysis. The data were analyzed by the partial least squares method.
Findings
The results confirm the positive effect of CEOs’ emotional intelligence on the interaction between R&D, energy and recycling. In addition, the diversification strategy further influences the role of CEOs’ emotional intelligence to provide explanations into a R&D investment for the environmental problems in the Tunisian energy sector. The findings reveal challenges and opportunities for Tunisia’s energy industry to increase R&D investment that will enable the economy to use more environment-friendly devices and technologies that will be reducing pollution.
Originality/value
First, this study indicates the important role of managerial emotional intelligence to explain the impact of R&D investment and help Tunisian energy enterprises look for means to minimise their environmental expenses through raising energy efficiencies, reducing pollution and encouraging reuse and recycling. Second, this study explains how a diversification strategy can mediate the interaction effect of CEO emotional intelligence. The Tunisia oil and gas sector has not been subjected to extensive research and this paper, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, represents a first attempt to provide an overview of the sector.
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Christopher Münch, Heiko A. von der Gracht and Evi Hartmann
The importance of integrating sustainability into business activities rises continuously. In addition to an established focus on forward logistics, there is a growing awareness of…
Abstract
Purpose
The importance of integrating sustainability into business activities rises continuously. In addition to an established focus on forward logistics, there is a growing awareness of reverse logistics. Reverse logistics ensures sustainable practices and increases competitiveness for companies, but it also comes with challenges. Therefore, the implementation of reverse logistics is associated with uncertainties. This paper aims to fill this gap by analyzing the development and comprehensive potential of reverse logistics as a sustainability tool.
Design/methodology/approach
To bridge the research gap, a real-time Delphi study was conducted. Through an extensive desk research, semi-structured interviews and an expert workshop, 14 projections for the German food sector of 2040 were created. A total of 49 experts in the field of logistics, reverse logistics and food logistics assessed the future projections concerning estimated probability, impact and desirability of occurrence.
Findings
The findings derived lead to three possible future scenarios as well as potential drivers and barriers that food companies, the government and society need to consider to enable a successful transition toward implementing reverse logistics in food supply chains.
Originality/value
The study examined the future role of reverse logistics as a sustainability tool in food supply chains. The results serve as a framework for decision-making on the sustainable orientation of business practices, leading to increased competitiveness and resilient business strategy. Several implications are derived for practitioners, policymakers and society to promote reverse logistics. Methodologically, this study extends existing Delphi methods by conducting a quantitative dissent and sentiment analysis, considering various surface-level and deep-level diversity characteristics.