Jia Yun Wong and Ganga Sasidharan Dhanesh
The purpose of this paper is to examine the framing and rhetorical devices employed by luxury brands to build CSR-based, ethical corporate identities while managing complexities…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the framing and rhetorical devices employed by luxury brands to build CSR-based, ethical corporate identities while managing complexities of the CSR-luxury paradox, the perceived clash between the self-transcendent values of CSR, and the self-enhancement values of luxury.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative frame analysis was conducted to create detailed frame matrices for each dimension of CSR message content, followed by quantitative content analysis to establish the extent of usage of these frames across 43 luxury brand websites in the apparel, beauty, jewelry, and watch categories.
Findings
Luxury brands predominantly framed their CSR efforts as discretionary, driven by altruistic motives. They foregrounded brand over social issue and highlighted substantial input into CSR efforts consistently over a period. CSR efforts were put into programs that were congruent with the brands’ business and that conveyed impact in abstract terms, evoking emotions over logic. Such framing across the CSR message-dimensions of issues, motives, importance, commitment, fit, and impact reflected a sophisticated understanding of communicating to a socially and environmentally conscious demographic while simultaneously aligning with the central, enduring, and distinctive characteristics of luxury.
Originality/value
This study contributes to emerging empirical work on CSR as a tool to build ethical corporate identity. This study also adds to the literature on identity management and CSR communication in the luxury industry, a sector that exceeded €1 trillion in retail sales in 2016.
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Although the Chinese economy has experienced a strong and rapid growth due to the success of its economic reform, the Chinese central government faces a stern fiscal decline. The…
Abstract
Although the Chinese economy has experienced a strong and rapid growth due to the success of its economic reform, the Chinese central government faces a stern fiscal decline. The fiscal problem has undermined the ability of the central government in completing many crucial governing tasks. By examining the institutional root of the fiscal problem, this paper argues that the fiscal decline is part of the ironic corollary of the decentralization strategy of China’s economic reform which produces a “weak center, strong local” outcome. To fully address the problem, China should undertake major institutional reforms to redefine as well as institutionalize the fiscal roles of different levels of government.
Donna Wong, Hongfei Liu, Yue Meng-Lewis, Yan Sun and Yun Zhang
This study investigates the use of gamification in promoting the silver generation's adoption of mobile payment technology through the gamified cultural practice of gifting red…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the use of gamification in promoting the silver generation's adoption of mobile payment technology through the gamified cultural practice of gifting red packets. It considers the effectiveness of using gamification in a cultural context to promote technology acceptance among older adults. This crossover between digital technology and cultural traditions brings unique gaming elements to the adoption of technology.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon technology acceptance Model (TAM) and prospect theory, a research model is evaluated using structural equation modeling. Data were collected via survey from elderly consumers who are current users of WeChat but are yet to use its mobile payment functions.
Findings
The results reveal the perceived effectiveness of gamification is determined by the perceived enjoyment of the game and contributes to users' attitude development, directly and through its perceived usefulness. Perceived risks were identified as a barrier to converting positive attitude into adoption intention.
Research limitations/implications
The findings contribute to the conceptualization and understanding of the effectiveness of gamification in technology adoption, specifically among the silver generation.
Originality/value
In contrast with previous gamification studies on gamified experience, this study introduces a new conceptualization of the perceived effectiveness of gamification and its measurement. This study validates game engagement as being effective in encouraging seniors to adopt a technology. In an era of an aging population where digitization is a norm, improving the digital literacy and digital inclusion of elders by encouraging them to adopt technology is essential to developing a more accessible and inclusive social environment.
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Danping Shao and Yun Peng
Based on the role theory and prosocial motivation literature, this research aims to explore the bright and dark side of socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) on…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the role theory and prosocial motivation literature, this research aims to explore the bright and dark side of socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) on hotel employees' outcomes through the mediation of role conflict. Besides, this study examines the moderating effect of prosocial motivation between role conflict and volunteering and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected 326 employee-supervisor dyads data in two waves from 12 hotels in the province of Wuhan, China. Besides, structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was adopted to test the hypothesized model.
Findings
As expected, the result shows that SRHRM can increase employees' volunteering and decrease their OCB through the mediation of the role conflict. Further, prosocial motivation strengthens the linkage between role conflict and volunteering, but not the relationship between role conflict and OCB.
Practical implications
This result enables hotel managers to adopt SRHRM as a useful tool of carrying out suitable corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Additionally, this study highlights the vital role of employee in successful CSR implementation.
Originality/value
Although the hotel industry contributes a lot to global economic development, CSR research specifically focused on hotel industry has been unexplored. Therefore, this research brings SRHRM into hotel industry and establishes a model specifying both the bright side and dark side effect of SRHRM in the hotel industry.
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Zirui Jia and Zengli Wang
Frequent itemset mining (FIM) is a basic topic in data mining. Most FIM methods build itemset database containing all possible itemsets, and use predefined thresholds to determine…
Abstract
Purpose
Frequent itemset mining (FIM) is a basic topic in data mining. Most FIM methods build itemset database containing all possible itemsets, and use predefined thresholds to determine whether an itemset is frequent. However, the algorithm has some deficiencies. It is more fit for discrete data rather than ordinal/continuous data, which may result in computational redundancy, and some of the results are difficult to be interpreted. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on this gap by proposing a new data mining method.
Design/methodology/approach
Regression pattern (RP) model will be introduced, in which the regression model and FIM method will be combined to solve the existing problems. Using a survey data of computer technology and software professional qualification examination, the multiple linear regression model is selected to mine associations between items.
Findings
Some interesting associations mined by the proposed algorithm and the results show that the proposed method can be applied in ordinal/continuous data mining area. The experiment of RP model shows that, compared to FIM, the computational redundancy decreased and the results contain more information.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed algorithm is designed for ordinal/continuous data and is expected to provide inspiration for data stream mining and unstructured data mining.
Practical implications
Compared to FIM, which mines associations between discrete items, RP model could mine associations between ordinal/continuous data sets. Importantly, RP model performs well in saving computational resource and mining meaningful associations.
Originality/value
The proposed algorithms provide a novelty view to define and mine association.
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Xueqing Gan, Jianyao Jia, Yun Le, Tingting Liu and Yutong Xue
Relationship conflict between the owners and contractors is inevitable, which could induce negative consequences. Yet, the existing literature mostly focused on its direct effects…
Abstract
Purpose
Relationship conflict between the owners and contractors is inevitable, which could induce negative consequences. Yet, the existing literature mostly focused on its direct effects on project performance and ignored the process by which relationship conflict gradually deteriorates cooperation as well as corresponding managerial approaches. Given the fact that relationship conflict originates from interdependent tasks, the proposed theoretical model is intended to measure relational behavior as an instant outcome of relationship conflict, and explore the buffering role of contract enforcement approach.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper develops the conceptual model based on the literature review. Then the questionnaire survey was conducted. The dyadic data obtained from 168 Chinese construction project professionals were analyzed by the Partial Least squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique.
Findings
The results show that relational behavior partially mediates the link between relationship conflict and project performance. Besides, three types of contract enforcement approaches are found to differentially change the negative link between relationship conflict and relational behavior. Rigid contract enforcement can worsen the adverse effects of relationship conflict on relational behavior, whereas flexible contract enforcement can alleviate these negative effects. The level of mitigation hinges on whether compromising behaviors or obliging behaviors are chosen.
Originality/value
The study extends the knowledge of conflict theory and contract theory in the construction field. Based on the proposed conceptual model and PLS-SEM results, this study contributes to the understanding of relationship conflict’s consequences between the owners and contractors and enriches conflict management approaches in the construction field.
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Jia Liao, Yun Zhan and Kangbo Liu
This study investigates the impact of customer stability on the cost of debt and the moderating effect of environmental uncertainty on the above relationship.
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the impact of customer stability on the cost of debt and the moderating effect of environmental uncertainty on the above relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical analysis based on the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model is conducted using China’s A-share listed companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2007 to 2021.
Findings
The results indicate that customer stability significantly inhibits the cost of debt, and the higher the environmental uncertainty, the more significant the inhibitory effect of customer stability on the cost of debt. The results of heterogeneity analyses indicate that the more intense the industry competition, the higher the customer concentration or the older the average customer age, the more significant the inhibiting effect of customer stability on the cost of debt.
Research limitations/implications
This study highlights the importance of customer relationship management and supply chain risk management, which have both theoretical and managerial implications. Despite its contributions, this study has limitations, such as China’s institutional context limits, which the generalisability of our results, and the sample size for this study is small because of limitations in measuring customer stability.
Originality/value
Existing literature has not yet reached a consistent conclusion on how customer relationships affect the cost of debt, and such studies are mainly centered around perspectives such as customer concentration and the contagion effect of supply chains. This study constructs an indicator of customer stability using detailed information on the top five customers of China’s A-share listed companies and dynamically examines the impact of customer stability on the cost of debt, which expands the research on the influencing factors of the cost of debt, the economic consequences of customer stability and the theory of customer relationship management.
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Xueqing Gan, Jianyao Jia, Yun Le and Yi Hu
Infrastructure projects are pivotal for regional economic development, but also face low project effectiveness. Leadership is always regarded as a key enabler for project team…
Abstract
Purpose
Infrastructure projects are pivotal for regional economic development, but also face low project effectiveness. Leadership is always regarded as a key enabler for project team effectiveness, including vertical leadership and team-level leadership. The purpose of this paper is to examine how vertical leadership facilitates shared leadership in infrastructure project teams.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper develops the conceptual model based on the literature review. Then the questionnaire survey was conducted. The empirical data obtained from 117 infrastructure project teams in China were analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for validating the proposed model. Finally, the results were comparatively discussed to explain the dual-pathway between vertical leadership and shared leadership. And the practical implications were presented for the project managers in infrastructure project teams.
Findings
Drawing on social learning theory and social cognitive theory, the results show that both participative leadership and task-oriented leadership can facilitate shared leadership. Further, team atmosphere fully mediates the link between participative leadership and shared leadership. Team efficacy fully mediates the relation between task-oriented leadership and shared leadership. Also, role clarity has a negative moderating effect on the former path.
Originality/value
The study extends the knowledge of leadership theory in the construction field. Based on the proposed conceptual model and PLS-SEM results, this study unveils the black box between vertical leadership and shared leadership and contributes to the theory of leadership on how the impact of different vertical leadership on team process promotes shared leadership.
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Sarahit Castillo-Benancio, Aldo Alvarez-Risco, Flavio Morales-Ríos, Maria de las Mercedes Anderson-Seminario and Shyla Del-Aguila-Arcentales
In a pandemic framework (COVID-19), this chapter explores the impact of the global economy and socio-cultures concerning three axes: recreational, tourism, and hospitality…
Abstract
In a pandemic framework (COVID-19), this chapter explores the impact of the global economy and socio-cultures concerning three axes: recreational, tourism, and hospitality. Although we slowly see an economic revival, it is well known that this sector of study is very susceptible to being affected by the context of nations. Following restrictions and measures taken by governments around the world to reduce the number of cases of coronavirus infections, many nations closed their borders, affecting international travel and by 2020 tourism had been reduced to the near cessation of operations due to the imminent fear of this poorly studied disease, and the service sector was negatively affected. It should be added that, according to the World Tourism Organization's projections, a decrease of between 20 and 30% is forecast for 2020 compared to the previous year.
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Erdem Baydeni̇z, Bircan Ergün, Turgut Türkoğlu and Engin Aytekin
This study examines the relationship between the emphasis on organic food in Afyonkarahisar's cuisine and the growing demand for healthier and sustainable options. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the relationship between the emphasis on organic food in Afyonkarahisar's cuisine and the growing demand for healthier and sustainable options. This study aimed to understand the factors influencing the intention to consume organic foods.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a quantitative research method. It uses scales adapted from previous research to assess the health and safety of organic food's functional, hedonic, and social values. Data were collected using the purposive sampling method, and a sample size of 410 individuals was analyzed using the PLS-SEM method. Measurement and structural models were evaluated to assess validity, reliability, and model fit.
Findings
The results indicate that implementing health and safety practices significantly and positively affects perceptions of organic food's functional, hedonic, altruistic, and social values. Additionally, consumers' attitudes toward organic food are greatly influenced by their perceptions of functional and social value, whereas hedonic and altruistic values do not have a significant positive effect.
Practical implications
The results of this study have a beneficial impact on food industry practitioners and policymakers. Emphasizing health and safety practices in producing and promoting organic foods can improve consumer perceptions and attitudes toward organic products. Understanding the importance of practical benefits and social issues can help companies respond effectively to consumer preferences and market organic foods.
Originality/value
This study contributes significantly to the existing literature by investigating the relationship between organic food emphasis and consumer perceptions in the unique context of Afyonkarahisar, a city renowned for its gastronomy. While focusing on Afyonkarahisar provides valuable insights into the specific values that influence consumers' attitudes toward organic food, it is essential to highlight that this research extends beyond the local context to offer broader implications and significance.