Timmy H. Tseng and Han-Yu Wang
Internet celebrities have become key resources for consumers making purchase decisions. An increasing number of internet celebrities have begun to exert their influence by…
Abstract
Purpose
Internet celebrities have become key resources for consumers making purchase decisions. An increasing number of internet celebrities have begun to exert their influence by creating self-branded products. This study aims to examine the antecedents of consumer attitudes and purchase intentions towards internet celebrity self-brands by integrating cognitive consistency theory, cue utilisation theory and the literature on brand authenticity and celebrity involvement.
Design/methodology/approach
Two sub-samples of different social media brand communities were collected via online surveys of consumers with experience purchasing targeted internet celebrity self-brands. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data.
Findings
The results of the two sub-samples provide convergent evidence that brand–consumer congruence, brand authenticity and internet celebrity involvement have positive correlations with consumer attitudes towards internet celebrity self-brands, which then positively correlate with purchase intentions in both psychological (Sub-sample 1) and social (Sub-sample 2) brand communities.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to develop a comprehensive model of consumers’ attitudes towards internet celebrity self-brands, which predict purchase intentions. The model is empirically tested in different social media brand communities, and the convergent results show the power of the proposed model. Internet celebrity involvement is proposed as a key driver of brand attitudes, which has received little attention. We conceptualise internet celebrity involvement and develop a scale to measure it. Based on the findings, we propose strategies to improve the marketing effectiveness of internet celebrity self-brands.
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Su-Ying Wu, Wei-Tsong Wang and Yu-Han Hsieh
This study examines the role of user psychological empowerment (PE) as a specific type of PE in the context of using health information systems (HIS) and incorporates the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the role of user psychological empowerment (PE) as a specific type of PE in the context of using health information systems (HIS) and incorporates the contribution of autonomous motivation and knowledge sharing intention (KSI) to the resolution of the key dynamics of interpersonal knowledge sharing behavior (KSB) in healthcare organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
For the data analysis, survey data were collected from 350 employees at three large teaching hospitals in Taiwan. In this study, the partial least squares technique was used with SmartPLS 3.3 software to validate the research model.
Findings
User PE had significant positive effects on autonomous motivation, KSI and KSB. Additionally, autonomous motivation positively affected KSB directly and indirectly via KSI.
Practical implications
Insights into motivation (e.g. user PE and autonomous motivation) play a key role in driving KSI and lead to effective KSB, which aids managers in tailoring their efforts to foster knowledge dissemination and enhance organizational performance.
Originality/value
While finding ways to encourage employees to share knowledge with one another in an organization is an important task, there exists a lack of understanding as to how this task can be accomplished in the context of healthcare organizations. This study is the first to specifically address this issue from a perspective integrating PE and self-determination theory while also incorporating the HIS context with population-specific measures (healthcare organizations) to expand the application of empowerment theory to the information system domain.
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Jun Lin, Han Yu, Zhengxiang Pan, Zhiqi Shen and Lizhen Cui
Today’s software engineers often work in teams to develop complex software systems. Therefore, successful software engineering in practice require team members to possess not only…
Abstract
Purpose
Today’s software engineers often work in teams to develop complex software systems. Therefore, successful software engineering in practice require team members to possess not only sound programming skills such as analysis, design, coding and testing but also soft skills such as communication, collaboration and self-management. However, existing examination-based assessments are often inadequate for quantifying students’ soft skill development. The purpose of this paper is to explore alternative ways for assessing software engineering students’ skills through a data-driven approach.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the exploratory data analysis approach is adopted. Leveraging the proposed online agile project management tool – Human-centred Agile Software Engineering (HASE), a study was conducted involving 21 Scrum teams consisting of over 100 undergraduate software engineering students in multi-week coursework projects in 2014.
Findings
During this study, students performed close to 170,000 software engineering activities logged by HASE. By analysing the collected activity trajectory data set, the authors demonstrate the potential for this new research direction to enable software engineering educators to have a quantifiable way of understanding their students’ skill development, and take a proactive approach in helping them improve their programming and soft skills.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there has yet to be published previous studies using software engineering activity data to assess software engineers’ skills.
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– The purpose of this paper is to review and assess the first five years of BALIS interlibrary loan service and propose directions for future service development.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review and assess the first five years of BALIS interlibrary loan service and propose directions for future service development.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a case study approach to review the consortium's service offerings and clientele, assess challenges encountered in the first few years of service, propose service improvements, and make recommendations for the development of future strategic alliances.
Findings
There are some shortcomings of the system that limit the expansion of interlibrary loan services such as the low satisfaction rate and the high shipping costs.
Originality/value
This paper updates an earlier study of BALIS ILL services published in 2011.
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The-Ngan Ma, Ying-Jung Yvonne Yeh, Han-Yu Lee and Hong Van Vu
The primary purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of customer incivility on employees' negative emotions (i.e. anger, fear and sadness) considering the moderating role…
Abstract
Purpose
The primary purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of customer incivility on employees' negative emotions (i.e. anger, fear and sadness) considering the moderating role of organizational power distance.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey sample comprising 312 service employees was collected from 51 Taiwanese and Vietnamese companies spanning different industries. Given the multilevel characteristics of the data structure, hierarchical linear modeling was used to rigorously test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicate a significant contribution of customer incivility to employees' negative emotions. Notably, this impact is more pronounced among employees in organizations characterized by low power distance compared to those in organizations with high power distance.
Originality/value
This research significantly advances our understanding of the emotional repercussions of customer incivility on employees by integrating cognitive–motivational–relational theory and organizational culture perspectives. The findings not only provide valuable theoretical insights but also offer practical implications for effectively managing employee well-being in culturally diverse contexts. The study recognizes certain limitations and puts forth suggestions for future research directions.
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Han Yu, Ciji Song and Zengji Song
Against the background of actively promoting the reform of mixed ownership in China, this study regards government ownership in private sector enterprises (PSEs) as an important…
Abstract
Purpose
Against the background of actively promoting the reform of mixed ownership in China, this study regards government ownership in private sector enterprises (PSEs) as an important political connection mechanism and examines private holding listed companies in high-polluting industries that sold China A-shares from 2012 to 2019.
Design/methodology/approach
Using regression models such as Tobit and negative binomial estimation, the research empirically examines the impact of government ownership in PSEs on the corporate fulfillment of their environmental responsibilities.
Findings
Government ownership can effectively promote PSEs to fulfill their environmental responsibilities. Government ownership, as a corporate-level political connection mechanism, enables the government to provide firms with more environmental protection subsidies and environmental tax incentives, encouraging firms to fulfill their environmental responsibilities. When considering the policy risks faced by PSEs, government ownership effectively reduces the impact of policy uncertainty on firms’ fulfillment of environmental responsibilities. Additionally, verifying the economic development level of the city in which the firm is located makes the positive impact of government ownership on fulfillment of environmental responsibilities of PSEs in regions with lower economic development levels more significant.
Originality/value
Unlike existing studies that generally use the personal political identity of entrepreneurs to measure the political connections of PSEs, this study regards government ownership in PSEs as an important political connection mechanism. It provides a useful reference for China to formulate environmental protection policies for PSEs.
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Wen-Long Zhuang, Yu-Han Chu, Tsun-Lih Yang and Yu-Ming Chang
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of mentoring functions on expatriate voice in multinational enterprises and whether job security plays a mediating role…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of mentoring functions on expatriate voice in multinational enterprises and whether job security plays a mediating role in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 300 questionnaires were distributed in this study. Of the 173 responses received, 8 invalid questionnaires were excluded and 165 valid questionnaires were analysed. The effective questionnaire recovery rate was 55.00%.
Findings
The results revealed that the stronger the psychosocial support function, the role modelling function and the career development provided by the mentor, the more would be the expatriate voice behaviour. Furthermore, the psychological support, role model characteristics and career development guidance affect the expatriate voice behaviour through the mediation of job security.
Originality/value
Few studies have focussed on the influence of expatriate mentoring functions and job security on expatriate voice. Furthermore, whether the mentoring function affects the job security of expatriates is unknown. The objective of this study is to fill this gap in the literature.
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This chapter presents a theoretical framework of the industrial relations (IR) system in China’s coal mining industry, combining the roles of management organizations, workers…
Abstract
This chapter presents a theoretical framework of the industrial relations (IR) system in China’s coal mining industry, combining the roles of management organizations, workers, and trade unions, as well as government agencies. It is one of the first empirical attempts to investigate the relationship between human resource (HR) practices, labor relations, and occupational safety in China’s coal mining industry over the past 60 years, based on the secondary data on coal mining accidents and case studies of two state-owned coal mines in a northern city in Anhui Province, China. The fluctuating occupational safety has been affected by government regulations over different time spans, marked by key political agendas, and by coal mining firms taking concrete measures to respond to these regulations, while exhibiting differing safety performance in state-owned versus township-and-village-owned mines. The field studies compared a safety-oriented to a cost-control-oriented HR and labor relations system, and their influences on safety performance. Coal mining firms and practitioners are advised to shift the traditional personnel management paradigm to a modern HR management system. In addition, although workers are often blamed directly for accidents, it is suggested that workers’ participation and voice in various processes of decision-making and policy implementation, and trade unions’ active involvement in protecting workers from occupational hazards, be encouraged.
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The authors focus on a non-Western setting that has hardly featured in debates around political authenticity, Taiwan. The authors also adopt a novel inter-generational perspective…
Abstract
The authors focus on a non-Western setting that has hardly featured in debates around political authenticity, Taiwan. The authors also adopt a novel inter-generational perspective to look at varying attitudes towards two ‘unconventional’, high-profile politicians, Ko Wen-je and Han Kuo-yu. Drawing on focus group data, the authors note the similarities and differences in the way that the different generations engage with, and assess, the two politicians with a particular focus on the extent to which their personalities, appearance, and everyday activities are perceived as authentic.
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Fang Li, Lei Deng, Longxiao Li, Zizhen Cheng and Han Yu
The purpose of this paper is to monitor the environmental efficiency of suppliers in the presence of undesirable output and dual-role factors with static and dynamic aspects…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to monitor the environmental efficiency of suppliers in the presence of undesirable output and dual-role factors with static and dynamic aspects. Meanwhile, it also aims to explain the main reason for the low efficiency of suppliers.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors propose a modified data model considering undesirable output and dual-role factors. The study integrates the modified data envelopment analysis model into the distance function of the Malmquist–Luenberger index. Moreover, this study uses the global benchmark technology to formulate a two-stage model. To verify the validity of this model, a model application is conducted on an automotive spare components company in China.
Findings
The results identify the unique status of dual-role factors based on the global optimality of the model and then categorize inefficient suppliers in an individual evaluation cycle. In addition, each supplier is projected on a frontier curve after obtaining the improved data. Furthermore, through the status plot of M-L and its components, this paper concludes that efficiency scale change is the main reason for the gap in ecological performance between different suppliers.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed model considers both undesirable output and dual-role factors; however, variables with different features, such as imprecise, fuzzy and qualitative characteristics, can be embedded into the presented two-stage model.
Originality/value
Evaluating green suppliers through multiple consecutive evaluation cycles will aid a company in effectively managing its key suppliers. Furthermore, the evaluation provides policy guidance for further improvement of suppliers.