As the world becomes a global village, sports organisations have begun to extend their markets and fan bases to different groups of customers. David Beckham, a British soccer star…
Abstract
As the world becomes a global village, sports organisations have begun to extend their markets and fan bases to different groups of customers. David Beckham, a British soccer star with a high profile marriage and much media attention, has endorsed numerous products, thereby becoming an excellent case study for the current trend of athlete endorsement in the international sports industry. The results of this case study provide insights into factors that might influence the success of athlete endorsement.
Qinyan Gong, Di Fan and Timothy Bartram
Organizations are increasingly deploying algorithmic human resource management (HRM) for decision-making. Despite algorithms beginning to permeate HRM practices, our understanding…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizations are increasingly deploying algorithmic human resource management (HRM) for decision-making. Despite algorithms beginning to permeate HRM practices, our understanding of how to interpret and leverage the functions of algorithmic HRM remains limited. This study aims to review the stock of knowledge in this field of algorithmic HRM and introduce a theoretical perspective of functional affordance to enhance the understanding of the value of algorithmic HRM.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was conducted in this study based on 283 articles. The articles are extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus. The content of the articles was then integrated to formulate the framework for this study.
Findings
Functional affordance highlights algorithmic HRM can be systematically embedded within the organizational environment, with its characteristics naturally suggesting the functionalities or actions available for HR managers to choose from. The findings of this study demonstrate five features of algorithmic HRM from the perspective of functional affordance: awareness of algorithmic HRM, alignment with business model design, action readiness, adaptation to business context and attribution to individuality.
Originality/value
This study provides a novel perspective for understanding the insufficiently theorized application of algorithmic HRM within organizations. It presents an integrated framework that elucidates the key features of algorithmic HRM and elaborates on how organizations can better develop algorithm-driven capabilities based on functional affordance.
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Di Fan, Sihong Wu, Yiyi Su and Vikas Kumar
International experience has long been recognized as a crucial determinant for firms’ knowledge management in the existing literature. However, within a global context, the…
Abstract
Purpose
International experience has long been recognized as a crucial determinant for firms’ knowledge management in the existing literature. However, within a global context, the relationship between international experience and the performance of multinational enterprises is intricate and remains ambiguous. While the impact of people mobility has been extensively studied, limited understanding exists regarding how global mobility of people and evolving external environments reshape the relationship. This study aims to integrate existing empirical evidence on this relationship and examines the contingencies posed by environmental factors.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducted a multilevel meta-analysis based on a sample of 231 effect sizes collected from 167 articles to systematically examine the international experience–performance relationship, considering the moderating effect of the global mobility of people and the rise of national sentiments (including authoritarianism and protectionism). A two-stage procedure comprising Hedges-Olkin-type meta-analysis and random-effects meta-analytic regression was adopted.
Findings
The findings demonstrate a predominantly positive international experience–performance relationship that varies across studies owing to differences in research design, variable measurements and firm characteristics. The relationship is positively moderated by the global mobility of people, yet the positive effect is contingent upon the level of national sentiments within home countries. The beneficial effect of inbound mobility on this relationship is attenuated by authoritarianism and protectionism, while the effect of outbound mobility is positively influenced by authoritarianism and less affected by protectionism.
Originality/value
This study offers novel theoretical insights into multinationals’ knowledge accumulation in the internationalization process. It contributes to the existing literature by presenting an integrated framework elucidating the international experience–performance relationship. Building upon the knowledge-based view, it integrates environmental dynamics and national sentiments to investigate the performance implications of multinationals’ international experience, thereby providing valuable practical insights for effective global knowledge management.
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Mike Mingqiong Zhang, Cherrie Jiuhua Zhu, Peter Dowling and Di Fan
The purpose of this paper is to examine the strategic responses of multinational enterprise (MNE) subsidiaries in China toward a unique institutional characteristic – the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the strategic responses of multinational enterprise (MNE) subsidiaries in China toward a unique institutional characteristic – the structural discrimination against rural migrant workers.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on surveys of 181 firms and 669 rural migrant workers, as well as a case study of eight firms in Jiangsu and Shanghai, the authors examined and compared the human resource management (HRM) policies of MNE subsidiaries and domestic Chinese firms toward rural Chinese migrant workers.
Findings
This study found that MNE subsidiaries are more likely to accept local discriminatory HRM practices when managing migrant workers. In response to the institutional environments of host countries, MNE subsidiaries tend to share similar behavioral characteristics with local firms and are reluctant to show leadership in initiating institutional change in host countries.
Originality/value
This study is important since it enables investigation of some prevailing assumptions in the literature. Contrary to common wisdom that MNEs are change agents that proactively engage in institutional entrepreneurship in host countries, this study found that MNEs’ responses to the institutional environment of host countries are shaped by their entry modes and the institutional environment in their home countries. MNEs are as diverse as their home countries and far from forming a unified organizational field with similar behavioral characteristics.
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Jie Xia, Mingqiong Mike Zhang, Jiuhua Cherrie Zhu, Di Fan and Ramanie Samaratunge
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of human resource management (HRM) reforms on job-related well-being of academics in Chinese universities. It also tests the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of human resource management (HRM) reforms on job-related well-being of academics in Chinese universities. It also tests the mediating effect of work intensification (WI) and affective commitment (AC), and the moderating effect of perceived organizational justice (OJ) on the HRM‒well-being relationship to understand the influence mechanisms and boundary conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey was conducted in 25 Chinese universities, obtaining 638 usable questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used as the analytical technique to examine the model fit and test hypotheses.
Findings
The findings reveal that the relationship of HRM and well-being is neither direct nor unconditional, and a win‒win scenario for both management and employee well-being is possible when organizations pursue HRM innovations.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this study are that data were collected at once and at a defined time, with no time lag being involved. In addition, all variables were self-reported.
Practical implications
Commitment-oriented HRM practices can create a win‒win scenario; when control-oriented HRM practices are necessary, managers should ensure OJ to offset their negative influence on employees.
Originality/value
This study is among the first to examine the impact of HRM on employee well-being in the context of Chinese higher education, contributing to the limited studies on HRM in Chinese public sector and the on-going debate on the nature of HRM in China.
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Toni Eagar, Andrew Lindridge and Diane M. Martin
Existing brand literature on assemblage practices has focused on providing a map or geography of brand assemblages, suggesting that an artist brand’s ability to evolve and achieve…
Abstract
Purpose
Existing brand literature on assemblage practices has focused on providing a map or geography of brand assemblages, suggesting that an artist brand’s ability to evolve and achieve brand longevity remains constant. Using geology of assemblage, this study aims to explore the types and mechanisms of change in brand evolutions to address the problem of identifying when and how a brand can transform in an evolving marketplace.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors apply an interpretive process data approach using secondary archival data and in-depth interviews with 31 self-identified fans to explore the artist brand David Bowie over his 50-year career.
Findings
As an artist brand, Bowie’s ability to evolve his brand was constrained by his assemblage. Despite efforts to defy ageing and retain a youth audience appeal, both the media and his fans interpreted and judged Bowie’s current efforts from a historical perspective and continuously reevaluated his brand limiting his ability to change to remain relevant.
Practical implications
Brand managers, particularly artist brands and human brands, may find that their ability to change is constrained by meanings in past strata over time. Withdrawal from the marketplace and the use of silence as a communicative practice enabling brand transformations.
Originality/value
The geology of assemblage perspective offers a more nuanced understanding of brand changes over time beyond the possibilities of incremental or disruptive change. We identify the mechanisms of change that result in minor sedimentation, moderate cracks and major ruptures in a brand’s evolution.
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The purpose of this study was to gather insights from sport marketing professionals and identify key opportunities, challenges and knowledge that sport marketing educators and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to gather insights from sport marketing professionals and identify key opportunities, challenges and knowledge that sport marketing educators and researchers could utilize in developing curriculum and research agendas.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was used, and data were collected through in-depth interviews with 15 sport marketing professionals. Participants were asked questions related to the knowledge, skills and experiences that they believe are important for students to have to be successful in the industry, as well as the types of research that would be most useful in their day-to-day work.
Findings
Industry professionals noted collaboration, transformation in digital marketing, data and analytics and experiential marketing as key trends facing the industry today. The findings suggest that sport marketing curriculum should focus on soft skill development such as communication, relationship building and empathy alongside hard skill development such as data analysis and storytelling. As well, findings show research areas where scholars can aid practitioners with a focus on consumer insights, technology, measuring ROI and experiential marketing.
Originality/value
With these findings, educators and scholars can better prepare students for successful careers in industry and contribute to the ongoing advancement of the scholarly field. This study serves as a starting point for further research in this area, and it is hoped that it will spark continued collaboration between academia and industry.
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David M. Woisetschläger, Vanessa J. Haselhoff and Christof Backhaus
The aim of this article is to contribute to the literature by analyzing potential determinants of fan resistance to naming right sponsorships. Although sports sponsorships mostly…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this article is to contribute to the literature by analyzing potential determinants of fan resistance to naming right sponsorships. Although sports sponsorships mostly trigger neutral or positive reactions by fans, the authors find empirical support which provides evidence for fan boycott or resistance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors empirically test a model using a sample of 798 soccer fans and thereby quantify structural relations between determinants and fan resistance. They use a logistic regression to assess potential determinants of fan resistance.
Findings
Results indicate that sponsee- and sports-related variables, such as fan/regional identification and attitude toward commercialization, contribute to higher fan resistance. Furthermore, fans see themselves as in-group members who discriminate out-group members. As the sponsoring company takes over control and imposes a “threat” (the change of a stadium’s name) on the group’s ritual place, this results in strong negative emotional reactions. These emotions tend to be repeated and affirmed in intra-group communications which intensify negative reactions unless the sponsor offers a positive contribution from the fans’ standpoints. Our findings confirm that sponsorship fit and perceived benefits of the sponsorship reduce fan resistance while the sponsor’s regional identification is unrelated to fan resistance.
Research limitations/implications
Little attention has been paid on negative reactions to sponsorships in the existing research. Therefore, future research could assess negative effects resulting from other sponsorship contexts, such as the sale of a club's naming right, promotion campaigns during the venue and to sponsorship deals in general. Moreover, research should be devoted to finding strategies that lead to a reduction of fan resistance to sponsorship actions.
Practical implications
Results show that sponsorship fit reduces fan resistance. Existing literature suggests that sponsorship fit can be improved by emphasis or creation of fit between sponsor and sponsee. Additionally, sponsors should try to build a bridge between sponsor and fans to gain acceptance of the in-group by raising awareness on the benefits that the sponsee receives from their partnership. Moreover, sponsors should actively strive to understand negative reactions of the fans and adapt their communication strategy to avoid resistance, e.g. due to fans’ feelings of overt commercialism.
Originality/value
Although naming right sponsorships are generally considered a powerful instrument for companies to gain high profile and market share, they seem not to be entirely free of risk. This article contributes to the literature by conceptualizing the phenomenon of fan resistance and assessing the determinants that contribute to fan resistance when naming rights are sold. Our findings extend the understanding of negative sponsorship effects in addition to the mechanisms and theoretical frameworks that are documented in the literature (Cornwell et al., 2005).
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This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/eb027867. When citing the article, please…
Abstract
This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/eb027867. When citing the article, please cite: David Fanning, (1985), “Prospects for Occupational Pension Funds”, Management Research News, Vol. 8 Iss: 4, pp. 1 - 8.