Yaw A. Debrah and Ian G. Smith
Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on…
Abstract
Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on work and employment in contemporary organizations. Covers the human resource management implications of organizational responses to globalization. Examines the theoretical, methodological, empirical and comparative issues pertaining to competitiveness and the management of human resources, the impact of organisational strategies and international production on the workplace, the organization of labour markets, human resource development, cultural change in organisations, trade union responses, and trans‐national corporations. Cites many case studies showing how globalization has brought a lot of opportunities together with much change both to the employee and the employer. Considers the threats to existing cultures, structures and systems.
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William J. Lundstrom, Oscar W. Lee and D. Steven White
Considers the factors which influence Taiwanese decisions to buy Japanese or US refrigerators, basing the conclusions on the results of a survey of 586 respondents drawn from…
Abstract
Considers the factors which influence Taiwanese decisions to buy Japanese or US refrigerators, basing the conclusions on the results of a survey of 586 respondents drawn from Taiwan’s four largest cities – Taipei, Kaoshiung, Taichung and Tainan. Describes how the questionnaires were constructed and pretested, and explains how the data was recorded (using a 5‐point Likert‐type scale) and analysed (using factor analysis and t‐tests). Tests particularly for cultural values of the Chinese, consumer ethnocentrism, openness to foreign culture, country image, and consumer sophistication. Finds that, despite the longer presence of Japanese goods in Taiwan, Japan’s proximity to Taiwan, and more cultural similarities between the Japanese and Taiwanese, Taiwanese consumers rate the USA’s country image factor higher than Japan’s, with consequent implications regarding intention to buy US goods. Recommends that US marketers build on their advantageous country image when they promote US appliances in foreign markets. Cautions against making too much of this snapshot data but concedes that further research into different foreign markets, different appliances, and with a longitudinal approach, would ascertain if findings are consistent with this survey, which has obvious benefits as new markets, such as China and India, open up to western goods and appliances.
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Syed Shah Shah Alam, Taslima Jannat, Chieh Yu Lin, Nor Asiah Omar and Yi Hui Ho
The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that affect managers’ ethical decision-making in export-oriented readymade garments in Bangladesh.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that affect managers’ ethical decision-making in export-oriented readymade garments in Bangladesh.
Design/methodology/approach
This is an empirical study based on the quantitative approach undertaking a cross-sectional survey method where a convenience sampling technique was applied. The analysis was done using partial least square structural equation model applying Smart-PLS version 3.0.
Findings
This study confirmed that all the components of cognitive appraisal processes, including perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, response efficacy and self-efficacy, have a significant influence on attitude. Attitude, in turn, mediates the relationship between these variables and the behavioural intention of ethical practice, except for perceived vulnerability. Besides, moral obligation is found to mediate the relationship between attitude, self-efficacy and the behavioural intention of ethical decision-making. The study also found that ethical climate and subjective norms have a direct influence on behavioural intention. Furthermore, behavioural intention, ethical climate and self-efficacy are positively related to actual decision-making behaviour. However, this study did not find any direct effect of subjective norms on moral obligation.
Practical implications
The organization should include an emphasis on building ethical culture and setting an ethical code of conduct within the organization to sustain ethical practice within employees. However, the practitioner should work on enhancing self-efficacy to curb unethical practices by individuals.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the management of garments manufacturers by a practical and theoretical understanding of what influences the ethical behavioural decision-making process. Valuable guidelines are provided on the ethical decision-making process in the garments manufacturing companies for future researchers.
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Snehasish Banerjee and Alton Y.K. Chua
This study investigates how autonomous vehicle (AV)-related electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) of different polarities affects attitude and perceived risk from the perspectives of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates how autonomous vehicle (AV)-related electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) of different polarities affects attitude and perceived risk from the perspectives of both passengers and pedestrians and whether any gender differences exist. It also seeks to identify AV-adoption user archetypes.
Design/methodology/approach
An online experiment was conducted, manipulating eWOM polarity (positive, negative or mixed) as a between-participants factor.
Findings
While eWOM polarity did not affect attitude, perceived risk was the highest in the mixed eWOM condition. Males and females differed from each other in terms of attitude toward AVs from a passenger perspective, attitude toward AVs from a pedestrian perspective and perceived risk for passengers in AVs. Four AV-adoption user archetypes were identified: AV watchfuls, AV optimists, AV nonchalants and AV skeptics.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the AV adoption literature by adding the effects of eWOM. It not only sheds light on how AV-related eWOM polarity affects attitude and perceived risk but also teases out nuances from the perspectives of passengers and pedestrians as a function of gender.
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Ramesh K.T., Sarada P. Sarmah and Pradeep Kumar Tarei
The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for identifying various inbound supply-risk factors and analyzing its indicators considering the contextual relationship…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for identifying various inbound supply-risk factors and analyzing its indicators considering the contextual relationship between them. This study additionally proposes a framework for developing an overall inbound supply-risk score considering a real-life case of the electronics supply chain (ESC) in the Indian context.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 32 risk indicators are identified by a systematic literature review approach and are validated by supply chain practitioners/experts and further categorized into six main risk factors. A hybrid multi-criteria decision-making-based DANP (DEMATEL and ANP) framework is employed to develop the overall inbound-supply-risk score (ISRS) and to prioritize the risk indicators. Indian ESC is chosen as a viable case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
Findings
The outcomes from the study reveal that the overall ISRS in the ESC is 36 percent and additionally forewarns critical inbound-supply-risk factors such as supplier performance, product, and buyer organization. Further, the study also identifies the most significant risk indicators such as price margin, investment, on-time delivery, order fulfillment and design changes for ESC.
Research limitations/implications
Supply chain practitioners can adopt this framework as a useful inbound supply-risk assessment tool. Moreover, the hybrid framework will address subjectivity and interrelations among various factors through experts’ judgments. The results will assist the managers to have better insights on the critical risk factors and their complicated interrelationships and further strategize action plans to nullify the impact of incoming risks. This study mainly focused on risk identification and assessment of electronics inbound-supply-risk indicators in the Indian context. The framework can be used for other manufacturing and service industries, albeit the results derived are in the context of a developing country.
Originality/value
This paper provides an effective risk assessment framework for the supply chain practitioners/managers to develop a decision-support system for inbound-supply-risk quantification and prioritization of risk factors in the context of the ESC.
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Majid Eskafi, Milad Kowsari, Ali Dastgheib, Gudmundur F. Ulfarsson, Poonam Taneja and Ragnheidur I. Thorarinsdottir
Port throughput analysis is a challenging task, as it consists of intertwined interactions between a variety of cargos and numerous influencing factors. This study aims to propose…
Abstract
Purpose
Port throughput analysis is a challenging task, as it consists of intertwined interactions between a variety of cargos and numerous influencing factors. This study aims to propose a quantitative method to facilitate port throughput analysis by identification of important cargos and key macroeconomic variables.
Design/methodology/approach
Mutual information is applied to measure the linear and nonlinear correlation among variables. The method gives a unique measure of dependence between two variables by quantifying the amount of information held in one variable through another variable.
Findings
This study uses the mutual information to the Port of Isafjordur in Iceland to underpin the port throughput analysis. The results show that marine products are the main export cargo, whereas most imports are fuel oil, industrial materials and marine product. The aggregation of these cargos, handled in the port, meaningfully determines the non-containerized port throughput. The relation between non-containerized export and the national gross domestic product (GDP) is relatively high. However, non-containerized import is mostly related to the world GDP. The non-containerized throughput shows a strong relation to the national GDP. Furthermore, the results reveal that the volume of national export trade is the key influencing macroeconomic variable to the containerized throughput.
Originality/value
Application of the mutual information in port throughput analysis effectively reduces epistemic uncertainty in the identification of important cargos and key influencing macroeconomic variables. Thus, it increases the reliability of the port throughput forecast.
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Yongtao Tan, Liyin Shen, Craig Langston, Weisheng Lu and Michael C.H. Yam
Thie purpose of this paper is to present the critical success factors (CSFs) for engaging in the building maintenance business in Hong Kong where maintenance is a major market…
Abstract
Purpose
Thie purpose of this paper is to present the critical success factors (CSFs) for engaging in the building maintenance business in Hong Kong where maintenance is a major market sector.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, CSFs are identified for the business of building maintenance based on data collected from a questionnaire survey and interviews.
Findings
A total of 12 CSFs are identified, such as client's satisfaction, certification of company, reliability of service, quality of service, and company reputation, and most are related to two principal factors, namely maintenance service and organization, and project management.
Originality/value
This paper provides a review of building maintenance in Hong Kong and identifies a list of success factors for the business of building maintenance. The identified CSFs and principal factors provide useful reference for maintenance contractors to have a clear understanding of the expectations of the building maintenance market in Hong Kong.
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Muhammad Sabbir Rahman, Md Afnan Hossain, Mohammad Tayeenul Hoque, Md Rifayat Islam Rushan and Mohammad Iftekhar Rahman
The purpose of this research is to investigate the millennial consumers’ purchasing behavior of fashion clothing brands in the spectrum of brand awareness, brand schematicity with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to investigate the millennial consumers’ purchasing behavior of fashion clothing brands in the spectrum of brand awareness, brand schematicity with brand consciousness and brand nationality. This study mainly considered the millennial consumers as they are the most dynamic and discerning segment when choosing a distinct fashion brand.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a well-structured questionnaire developed and distributed to 266 millennial respondents using shoping malls and university campus intercept methods. Data were analyzed by applying the structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results show that brand awareness has a mediating effect on the millennials’ purchasing behavior toward fashion clothing brands. The study also confirms the active moderation role of brand schematicity on the purchasing behavior toward fashion clothing brands.
Practical implications
Based on these findings, the fashion clothing retailers should aim to maximize their sales from the millennial segments by enhancing brand awareness. The schematic consumers are more engaged in the numbers of quality hints to make their choice on the fashion clothing brands. Therefore, the practitioners must consider such information, and that should be available in the fashion clothing retail outlets.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the existing literature of the millennials’ purchasing behavior toward the fashion clothing brands. Moreover, research on this segment related to brand awareness and brand schematicity is insufficient, and the current study may add significant value.