Diego Antônio Bittencourt Marconatto, Emidio Gressler Teixeira, Fernando de Oliveira Santini and Wagner Junior Ladeira
The paper aims to provide robust evidence about the relationships between key individual characteristics of owners and managers (OMs) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs)'…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to provide robust evidence about the relationships between key individual characteristics of owners and managers (OMs) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs)' growth and the moderating influence of the country context on these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors meta-analyzed 62 studies presenting a cumulative sample of 175 effect-sizes and 174,590 SMEs.
Findings
The authors found that SMEs led by more experienced men with higher levels of education are more likely to grow. While the relationship between OMs' experience and SMEs' growth is significant for differing country contexts, national characteristics affect the magnitude of the influence that OMs' education and gender specifically exert on SME expansion. The authors also found that the positive impact of OMs' human capital on SMEs' growth increases when these firms are focused on technology.
Research limitations/implications
The study yielded small-effect sizes for the impact of OMs' human capital and gender on SMEs' growth. Researchers can assess the influence of these characteristics on SMEs' growth along with other individual dimensions.
Originality/value
The current study is the first meta-analytical investigation about the influence of OMs' gender on SMEs' growth. The study focuses solely on SME OMs, as SMEs are not simply larger businesses on a smaller scale. The authors employ a wide set of country-level moderators in the research going beyond most empirical examinations of the topic that have given only marginal attention to moderators.
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The purpose of this paper is to consider the implications of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for future research on intersection feminist studies of foodwork.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to consider the implications of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for future research on intersection feminist studies of foodwork.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper offers a brief summary of feminist domestic foodwork research and COVID-19 food-related media commentary, focusing on race, gender and class.
Findings
This paper shows how domestic foodwork during pandemic lockdowns and the wider contexts reproduced racial, classed and gendered inequalities and hierarchies.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is limited by the recency of the pandemic and lack of empirical studies but still offers recommendations for a post-pandemic intersectional feminist agenda for studies and policy interventions relation to domestic foodwork.
Originality/value
The paper raises the importance of foodwork for feminist organisational studies, and how it consolidated and created racialised, gendered and classed inequalities during the pandemic, offering insights for future research and policy interventions around food and labour.
Michele Florencia Victoria, Srinath Perera, Alan Davies and Nirodha Fernando
The purpose of this paper is to identify and compare cost and carbon critical elements of two office buildings, and to help achieve an optimum balance between the capital cost…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and compare cost and carbon critical elements of two office buildings, and to help achieve an optimum balance between the capital cost (CC) and embodied carbon (EC) of buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
Case study approach was employed to study cost and carbon critical elements of two office buildings as it allows an in-depth and holistic investigation. Elemental estimates of CC and EC were prepared from BoQs of the two buildings by obtaining rates from the UK Building Blackbook. Pareto principle (80:20 rule) was used to identify carbon and cost critical elements of the two buildings, and the significance hierarchies of building elements were compared.
Findings
Substructure, frame and services were identified as both carbon and cost critical elements responsible for more than 70 per cent of the total CC and EC of both buildings. Stairs and ramps, internal doors and fittings, furnishings and equipment were identified to be the least carbon- and cost-significant elements contributing less than 2 per cent of total CC and EC in both buildings. The hierarchy of cost and carbon significance varies between buildings due to the difference in the specification and design.
Originality/value
The increasing significance of dual currency (cost and carbon) demands cost and carbon management during the early stages of projects. Hence, this paper suggests that focusing on carbon and cost-intensive building elements is a way forward to keep both cost and carbon under control during the early stages of projects.
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Paola Graciano, Aline Cafruni Gularte, Fernando Henrique Lermen and Marcia Dutra de Barcellos
The purpose of this paper is to identify the personal values of consumers of ethical cosmetics in Brazil, using the resulting personality types to segment consumers for the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the personal values of consumers of ethical cosmetics in Brazil, using the resulting personality types to segment consumers for the development of strategies by Brazilian retailers and international players.
Design/methodology/approach
This study administered the psychometric Values and Lifestyles Scale (VALS) via an online survey with 302 consumers of ethical cosmetics. First, exploratory factorial analysis was employed to identify the behavior of VALS' factors within the sample. Second, cluster analysis was performed using hierarchical clustering technique in order to link demographic variables and VALS' types to form specific consumer profiles.
Findings
The study found eight VALS types in the sample respondents but with a different configuration than the original factors. They were named, respectively, “Avant-garde”, “Oriented to fashion”, “Artisans”, “Committed to morality and religion”, “Leader of a group”, “Theoretical”, “Ingenious” and “Conservative”. Results indicated a demographically homogeneous sample with personality profiles mostly placed among VALS' original factors “Experiencer”, “Thinker” and “Innovator”.
Research limitations/implications
Results may vary within other cultural contexts and different means of investigation suggesting future research opportunities.
Practical implications
Ethical demands concerning health and environmental preservation are no longer neglectable. The study of consumers' personal values can contribute to formulate suitable retail strategies for expected demands of consumers in the ethical cosmetics segment.
Originality/value
These findings are expected to provide resources for decision-makers, academics, practitioners and marketers concerning several points of sensitivity in their relationship with ethical consumers.
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Anu C. Haridasan, Angeline Gautami Fernando and B. Saju
The purpose of this study is to identify major themes and potential research opportunities in online and offline consumer search.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify major themes and potential research opportunities in online and offline consumer search.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review was conducted based on 118 articles identified from prevalent journal databases. Keywords frequency analysis was carried out to identify the major themes. An inductive thematic analysis was carried out to verify the generated themes.
Findings
Results show that uncertainty, knowledge, perceived risk, price, experience and involvement are the major themes associated with consumer information search. Uncertainty, one of the major themes of offline search, has not been studied in the online search context. Similarly, the previous experience needs to be explored in the context of the offline search. Finally, potential research opportunities for future research has been summarized based on the retrieved themes.
Research limitations/implications
The systematic review provides an in-depth understanding on the current research on information search literature with future research directions.
Practical implications
This study helps retailers to understand the key elements that motivate consumers to perform external information searches from online and offline sources and to curate targeted information provision strategies to influence purchase decisions.
Social implications
Consumers with limited internet availability may access channels prior to decision-making. The themes identified in this study can aid policymakers to design affordable access to these channels.
Originality/value
This study adds to the sparse literature on systematic reviews on consumer search for online and offline channels.
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Beatriz Forés, Alba Puig-Denia, José María Fernández-Yáñez and Montserrat Boronat-Navarro
This study adopts the dynamic capabilities perspective to analyze environmental performance in family firms and explores the moderating effects that both family involvement in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study adopts the dynamic capabilities perspective to analyze environmental performance in family firms and explores the moderating effects that both family involvement in the Top Management Team (TMT) and long-term orientation (LTO) exert on the relationship between dynamic capabilities and environmental performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors test the hypotheses on a database of 748 family tourism firms, using hierarchical regression analysis.
Findings
The authors' results show that both variables have a beneficial effect on building the dynamic capabilities to be applied to improving environmental performance. However, the moderating effect of family involvement is revealed to be more complex than that of LTO. Having a high degree of family managerial involvement positively moderates the effect of dynamic capabilities on environmental performance but only in family firms with highly-developed dynamic capabilities; conversely, in family firms with lower levels of dynamic capabilities not having this family involvement in the TMT is better.
Originality/value
This study helps advance the research on Spanish family tourism firms by adopting an approach that unveils the heterogeneity in dynamic capabilities among said firms, driven by the firms' idiosyncratic features in terms of family involvement in the TMT and their LTO. The article also provides practical insights for family business owners, managers and advisors and outlines important directions for future research.
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R. Lalitha S. Fernando, Manjitha Kavindi Siriwardhana, E. Achini Indrachapa Kularathna and H. D. M. Kaushalya Geethamali
The occurrences of disasters have become a common phenomenon in the world and there is evidence that the frequency and intensity of disasters are increasing. There have been more…
Abstract
The occurrences of disasters have become a common phenomenon in the world and there is evidence that the frequency and intensity of disasters are increasing. There have been more than 7,000 disaster events and around 265 million displacements in the period from 2008 to 2018, which constitutes more than three times of conflict and violence-related displacements (Disaster Displacement – A global review, 2019). Natural disasters are responsible for nearly 60,000 deaths per year on average and are responsible for 0.1% of global deaths. Various forms of natural disasters pose significant threats to lives, livelihoods, economic development, and ecological diversity around the world. Similar to the world scenario, Sri Lanka has a similar situation. Sri Lanka has been identified as a drought hot spot. Nearly, 15,000 people per million are at risk of disaster-induced displacement every year in Sri Lanka. During the Tsunami, in 2004, 31,000 human lives were lost, and more than a million people were displaced. Thus, natural disasters cause a huge negative impact on society and the economy in Sri Lanka. In this context, the main objectives of this study are to overview the disasters and displacements that have occurred during the last two decades and to explore the livelihood activities of the affected people and their best practices of disaster resilience. Secondary data were used to overview the disasters and displacements of the last two decades and the related policy framework of the country. Primary data were used to identify livelihood activities and disaster-resilient strategies of the affected people. In-depth interviews were conducted with an unstructured questionnaire from 15 recovered families who have been affected by Tsunami and landslides that occurred in the country. The purposive sampling method was used to select families from the most disaster-affected areas. Descriptive methods were used to analyze the data. The study revealed five recovery strategies followed by displaced people from tsunamis and landslides. Those are continuing with the previous livelihood activities as much as possible, moving to different livelihood activities, moving to different areas to find better jobs, attaining external assistance, and self-management on household finance. Finally, policy guidelines for building resilience in communities that will help to enhance their capacity to cope and recover from vulnerability are proposed in improving their lives.
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Isabel Scafuto, Fernando Serra, Eduardo Mangini, Emerson Antonio Maccari and Roberto Ruas
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the perceived quality of the service environment, regarding the use of the flipped classroom, through a survey of MBA students.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the perceived quality of the service environment, regarding the use of the flipped classroom, through a survey of MBA students.
Design/methodology/approach
Four hypotheses were developed from the literature in marketing and quality services in higher education. The hypotheses were tested using linear regressions. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The sample had 981 effective responses.
Findings
The results of the statistical analysis show that the evaluation of the perceived quality of the educator and course are positively affected by the use of the flipped classroom.
Research limitations/implications
Only one higher education organisation was studied. The variables analysed have no mediation and moderation, which is a suggestion for future studies.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to studies of higher education services and quality, as it shows the influence of the process on the educator. In higher education, the educator is usually considered independent, having a strong influence on perceived quality. The study contributes to the theme by showing the flipped classroom as an effective teaching strategy that requires further empirical study.