Junjie Wu, Jining Song and Catherine Zeng
The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical quantitative evidence concerning small business financing in China and highlight the financing problems faced by small to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical quantitative evidence concerning small business financing in China and highlight the financing problems faced by small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing their businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
A semi‐structured questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from a sample of 60 small businesses in three cities in China. Descriptive methods and the SPSS statistical software package were used to analyse the data and interpret the results.
Findings
The data gathered covered current topic in research including the capital structure of SMEs at start‐up, the types and extent of funding shortage, the preference of financial resources as SMEs grow, the significant factors, which help SMEs secure bank loans and the influence of a firm's size, age and the like. The findings generally support financial theories and previous studies about SMEs but also offer the basis for new arguments about financing SMEs in China.
Research limitations/implications
The sample size is relatively small and statistical analysis is relatively straightforward.
Practical implication
The present study will be of interest to policy makers developing new strategies and policies to support the financing of SMEs in China.
Originality/value
The results from this study contribute to the understanding of current problems in financing Chinese small business enterprises. These include findings, which were not presented in other similar studies.
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Catherine Acosta Garcia, Isabelle Verleyen and Annelies Roggeman
Previous studies on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and tax avoidance (TA) have found inconclusive results. Academics have suggested deepening our…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous studies on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and tax avoidance (TA) have found inconclusive results. Academics have suggested deepening our understanding of this relationship. Although a few studies have responded to this call, research toward moderating variables is still nascent. The purpose of this study is to analyze the moderating role of economic freedom (EF) and its interaction with power distance (PD) on the relationship between CSR and TA.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a sample of 3,866 publicly listed firms from 44 countries over the period 2010–2018, the authors use multivariate regressions techniques to investigate whether and how EF moderates the relationship between CRS and TA and how PD influences this effect.
Findings
Findings indicate that the potentially positive relationship between CSR and TA is weaker for firms in institutional environments with higher EF. Moreover, we find that this moderating effect is stronger when PD is lower.
Practical implications
This study has important implications. It offers insights for managers to reflect on their CSR and taxation practices, and for policymakers to consider the institutional conditions that facilitate corporations’ social and tax-responsible behavior. These findings indicate the necessity of integrating cultural, regulatory and collaborative elements to observe corporations engaged in social and tax-responsible behavior.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the moderating effect of EF on the relationship between CSR and TA, and its interaction with PD. Moreover, our sample includes firms based in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Oceania, facilitating the study of EF and PD’s broad diversity.
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Catherine Prentice, IpKin Anthony Wong and Desmond Lam
This paper, from a marketing and management perspective, aims to review the relevant literature germane to casino studies. The review discusses the major findings from previous…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper, from a marketing and management perspective, aims to review the relevant literature germane to casino studies. The review discusses the major findings from previous studies, provides a critique and identifies research gaps for future studies. In particular, the research foci presented in this paper rest on the service profit chain (SPC) model. The review involves studies relating to the constructs of the chain model and comprises sections that are categorized based on the internal link between management and employees, interaction between casino service employees and customers and profitability link.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach used in the current study involves a systematic review of the relevant academic literature with a focus on SPC studies in the casino industry, along with critical evaluation and analysis to identify research gaps. Google Scholar, EBSCOHost, Science Direct, Emerald and other academic databases were used to search relevant studies relating to casino and gambling research streams.
Findings
The review identifies several research gaps on the basis of the SPC link. Specifically, internal service quality needs more attention from both the practice and research points of view. Casino employee research should be extended to include personal traits and characteristics that may contribute to employee performance and loyalty. In the interaction between casino service providers and gamblers, more studies should be undertaken on the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing initiatives and promotions. Externally, the paper points out that more appropriate measurement of customer loyalty and casino profitability should be explored.
Research limitations/implications
This review provides references to focusing on key competitive advantages and presents guidelines on improving business growth and profitability for casino managers. The paper also identifies research areas that future studies should attend to.
Originality/value
The paper is the first thorough literature review of gaming research on marketing and management with a focus on the SPC model. This review represents a new era of gaming research, extending the problem gambling research focus into a broader scope embracing other disciplines.
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Erose Sthapit, Chunli Ji, Yang Ping, Catherine Prentice, Brian Garrod and Huijun Yang
Drawing on the theory of memory-dominant logic, this study aims to examine how the substantive staging of the servicescape, experience co-creation, experiential satisfaction and…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the theory of memory-dominant logic, this study aims to examine how the substantive staging of the servicescape, experience co-creation, experiential satisfaction and experience intensification affect experience memorability and hedonic well-being in the case of unmanned smart hotels.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was used, with the target respondents being hotel guests people aged 18 years and older who had been recent guests of the FlyZoo Hotel in Hangzhou, China. Data were collected online from 429 guests who had stayed in the hotel between April and June 2023. Data analysis was undertaken using structural equation modelling.
Findings
The results suggest that all the proposed four constructs are positive drivers of a memorable unmanned smart hotel experience. The relationship between the memorability of the hotel experience and hedonic well-being was found to be significant and positive.
Practical implications
Unmanned smart hotels should ensure that all smart technologies function effectively and dependably and offer highly personalised services to guests, allowing them to co-create their experiences. This will lead to the guest receiving a satisfying and memorable experience. To enable experience co-creation using smart technologies, unmanned smart hotels could provide short instructional videos for guests, as well as work closely with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure that smart technology systems are regularly updated.
Originality/value
This study investigates the antecedents and outcomes of a novel phenomenon and extends the concept of memorable tourism experiences to the context of unmanned smart hotels.
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Nassim Abdeldjallal Otmani, Malik Si-Mohammed, Catherine Comparot and Pierre-Jean Charrel
The purpose of this study is to propose a framework for extracting medical information from the Web using domain ontologies. Patient–Doctor conversations have become prevalent on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to propose a framework for extracting medical information from the Web using domain ontologies. Patient–Doctor conversations have become prevalent on the Web. For instance, solutions like HealthTap or AskTheDoctors allow patients to ask doctors health-related questions. However, most online health-care consumers still struggle to express their questions efficiently due mainly to the expert/layman language and knowledge discrepancy. Extracting information from these layman descriptions, which typically lack expert terminology, is challenging. This hinders the efficiency of the underlying applications such as information retrieval. Herein, an ontology-driven approach is proposed, which aims at extracting information from such sparse descriptions using a meta-model.
Design/methodology/approach
A meta-model is designed to bridge the gap between the vocabulary of the medical experts and the consumers of the health services. The meta-model is mapped with SNOMED-CT to access the comprehensive medical vocabulary, as well as with WordNet to improve the coverage of layman terms during information extraction. To assess the potential of the approach, an information extraction prototype based on syntactical patterns is implemented.
Findings
The evaluation of the approach on the gold standard corpus defined in Task1 of ShARe CLEF 2013 showed promising results, an F-score of 0.79 for recognizing medical concepts in real-life medical documents.
Originality/value
The originality of the proposed approach lies in the way information is extracted. The context defined through a meta-model proved to be efficient for the task of information extraction, especially from layman descriptions.
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Douglas J. Cumming and Zachary Glatzer
This chapter focuses on how alternative data can change the nature of financial forecasting through improved short-term forecasting techniques and decreased informativeness from…
Abstract
This chapter focuses on how alternative data can change the nature of financial forecasting through improved short-term forecasting techniques and decreased informativeness from longer term sources. Increased use of social media data leads the charge in transforming this transition. Alternative data are data not from standard financial statements or formal reports. This chapter looks at alternative data from new sources (e.g., social media, Internet of Things [IoT], and digital footprints) and alternative data from new collection methods like web scraping for textual analysis, image analysis, and vocal analysis). It first discusses standard data in financial forecasting. Next, this chapter examines alternative data in financial forecasting. Finally, it discusses alternative data used in studying finance more broadly.
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Nancy J. Adler and Joyce S. Osland
Whereas most societal commentators continue to review the historical patterns of men’s leadership in search of models for 21st-century success, few have begun to recognize, let…
Abstract
Whereas most societal commentators continue to review the historical patterns of men’s leadership in search of models for 21st-century success, few have begun to recognize, let alone appreciate, the equivalent patterns of women’s leadership and the future contributions that women could potentially make as leaders. What could and are women bringing to society as global leaders? Why at this moment in history is there such a marked increase in the number of women leaders? Are we entering an era in which both male and female leaders will shape history, both symbolically and in reality? And if so, will we discover that women, on average, lead in different ways than men, or will we learn that role (global leader) explains more than gender? This chapter reveals the accelerating trends of women joining men in senior leadership positions, establishes the relationship of women leaders to our overall understanding of global leadership, and sets forth an agenda to accomplish much needed research and understanding.
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Vidya Lawton, Verity Pacey, Taryn M. Jones and Catherine M. Dean
Australian physiotherapy programs incorporate work-integrated learning within curriculum, with the aim to produce work-ready graduates. Recent research in physiotherapy has…
Abstract
Purpose
Australian physiotherapy programs incorporate work-integrated learning within curriculum, with the aim to produce work-ready graduates. Recent research in physiotherapy has identified six domains of work readiness. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between university performance, paid work and work readiness, and explore the perceived contributions of university curriculum, work and life experiences to work readiness in those individuals transitioning into practice.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods design was used incorporating an online survey, and linked university performance data of completing students and recent graduates. The survey included personal and work data, a work readiness scale and Likert scales measuring perceived contributions to work readiness from university curriculum (academic and clinical), work and life experiences. University performance was calculated as the Course Weighted Average Mark. Correlation analysis examined the relationship between university performance, paid work and work readiness. Perceived contributions from university curriculum, and work and life experiences for work readiness domains were calculated as percentages of each Likert response.
Findings
Analysis included 129 surveys (51 completing students and 78 recent graduates). There was no association between university performance, work (paid and unpaid) and perceived work readiness (all p-values > 0.05). There was a high consistent trend that university academic curriculum (range 71–97%), clinical curriculum (range 89–99%) and work and life experiences (range 67–94%) contributed to all work readiness domains.
Originality/value
This study highlights the significant influence of university curriculum, work and life experiences on perceived readiness for practice.