Anne Bowers, Joshua Wu, Stuart Lustig and Douglas Nemecek
Loneliness is known to adversely impact employee health, performance and affective commitment. This study involves a quantitative cross-sectional analysis of online survey data…
Abstract
Purpose
Loneliness is known to adversely impact employee health, performance and affective commitment. This study involves a quantitative cross-sectional analysis of online survey data reported by adults employed in the United States (n = 5,927) to explore how loneliness and other related factors may influence avoidable absenteeism and turnover intention.
Design/methodology/approach
Worker loneliness was assessed using the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3). Composite variables were constructed as proxy measures of worker job and personal resources. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine independent variable effects on dependent outcomes of (a) work days missed in the last month due to stress (stress-related absenteeism) and (b) likelihood to quit within the next year (turnover intention).
Findings
The job resources of social companionship, work-life balance and satisfaction with communication had significant negative relationships to loneliness in the SEM, as did the personal resources of resilience and less perceived alienation. Results further show lonely workers have significantly greater stress-related absenteeism (p = 0.000) and higher turnover intention ratings (p = 0.000) compared to workers who are not lonely. Respondent demographics (age, race and gender) and other occupational characteristics also produced significant outcomes.
Practical implications
Study findings underscore the importance of proactively addressing loneliness among workers and facilitating job and personal resource development as an employee engagement and retention strategy.
Originality/value
Loneliness substantially contributes to worker job withdrawal and has negative implications for organizational effectiveness and costs.
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Joshua Keller and Catherine Wu
Purpose – This chapter introduces two empirical models that could be used to examine the influence of Eastern and Western culture on strategic management: the cultural consensus…
Abstract
Purpose – This chapter introduces two empirical models that could be used to examine the influence of Eastern and Western culture on strategic management: the cultural consensus model (CCM) and the cultural mixture model (CMM).
Methodology/approach – We describe how strategic management scholars can use these models and suggest areas where these models can be of greatest use, including international market entry, international mergers and acquisitions and international alliances, global headquarters and subsidiary relationships, and corporate governance.
Findings – Originally developed by cognitive anthropologists and cultural psychologists, these models can measure domain specificity, scope, and heterogeneity of cultural influences within and across Eastern and Western societies; can address multilevel issues; and can measure an individual or firm's representativeness of the culture.
Social implications – This new research methodology can help strategic management researchers address the impact of “West meets East” on strategic management outcomes and processes.
Originality/value of chapter – The two empirical models provide methodologies that integrate qualitative and quantitative methods.
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Empirical tests of Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory (SLT) have demonstrated that the assessment of follower competence and commitment, critical contextual…
Abstract
Purpose
Empirical tests of Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory (SLT) have demonstrated that the assessment of follower competence and commitment, critical contextual features dictating optimal leadership style, poses several problems in testing the validity of this theory. As well, most previous studies have used leader rating as the only information source in making these assessments. The purpose of this paper is to use the degree of agreement between leader rating and follower self-rating to determine follower competence and commitment, and consequently an optimal leadership style.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data collected from both supervisors and employees in business organizations in Norway were analyzed to test the predictions put forward in SLT.
Findings
The results show that SLT principles are supported when leader rating and follower self-rating are congruent. However, no support was obtained for Blanchard’s suggestion to apply followers’ self-ratings of competence and commitment in the case of discrepant ratings of follower development level. But data do support the contention that leader assessment would be a better basis for providing followers with appropriate direction and support.
Originality/value
So far SLT has been a very popular but as yet under-researched theory. An important contribution of the present study is by making SLT an evidence-based theory, as opposed to just being intuitively sound. As such, the authors think SLT in an updated “convergent” version should be applied in organizations and taught in leadership development programs.
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Ambiguity surrounding “follower competence and commitment” of Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory (SLT) has rendered validation difficult. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Ambiguity surrounding “follower competence and commitment” of Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory (SLT) has rendered validation difficult. The purpose of this paper is to address this difficulty by presenting different perspectives for determining follower development level and applies these perspectives for testing the validity of SLT.
Design/methodology/approach
The study population was drawn from 80 supervisors and 357 followers. Financial organizations were chosen because much of the existing research on SLT has so far focussed on service-oriented organizations in education, healthcare, and armed services.
Findings
Measuring the degree of agreement between leader rating of follower competence and commitment and follower self-rating was found to be a core issue for determining follower competence and commitment. SLT predictions are more likely to hold when leader rating and follower self-rating are congruent, rather than using leader rating alone, which has been applied in previous studies.
Practical implications
Both leader and follower need to diagnose follower competence and commitment, first individually and then together, to discuss similarities and differences and attempt to agree upon the determination of follower competence and commitment. If the rating is based on some mutual agreement, then it is assumed in accordance with SLT that the leader can provide the follower with an appropriate amount of direction and support.
Originality/value
The findings in the present study are of great importance for future research on SLT. It may change the approach for testing the validity of the theory. A leader-follower congruence approach will, in the authors view, constitute the future research avenue for research on SLT.
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Khadijah Iddrisu, Joshua Yindenaba Abor and Thadious Kannyiri Banyen
The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which the nexus between foreign bank presence (FBP) and inclusive growth is being impacted by the financial development.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which the nexus between foreign bank presence (FBP) and inclusive growth is being impacted by the financial development.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a two-stage system generalized method of moment (GMM), using 28 African countries from the period 2000 to 2018.
Findings
The study found a positive effect of FBP on inclusive growth. While financial development magnifies the positive effect of FBP, inclusive growth nexus, it has a direct effect on inclusive growth.
Practical implications
For Africa to ascertain the positive effect of FBP on inclusive growth, financial system must be developed to reduce the cream-skim behavior of foreign banks.
Originality/value
This paper assess the extent to which developing economy's developed financial system form synergies with FBP to further enhance the inclusiveness of growth.
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Festus Victor Bekun, Ashutosh Yadav, Joshua Chukwuma Onwe, Michael Provide Fumey and Mahsum Ökmen
Over the last decades, the need for sustainable energy production and consumption has been heavily discussed. However, there has been no consensus in the extant literature. Thus…
Abstract
Purpose
Over the last decades, the need for sustainable energy production and consumption has been heavily discussed. However, there has been no consensus in the extant literature. Thus, to this end, this study aims to explore the long-run and causality connection among disaggregated energy consumption, environmental tax and economic growth in a carbon-function framework for Turkey.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses annual frequency data for econometrics analysis. To this end, our analysis utilizes the autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) technique for cointegration and long-run analysis, while the Granger causality was used for causality direction.
Findings
Economic growth drives Turkey’s Load Capacity Factor (LCF), indicating energy efficiency is linked to economic performance. Renewable energy boosts LCF, while nonrenewable energy hinders it. Population growth positively affects energy efficiency, but environmental taxes have minimal impact, suggesting policy reform is needed. These outcomes have far-reaching implications for macroeconomic policies and environmental sustainability in Turkish economy energy mix amidst its growth path.
Research limitations/implications
The findings suggest the need for policy reforms prioritizing renewable energy investments to enhance Turkey’s energy efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, the current environmental tax structure requires reevaluation to support sustainable energy practices better. These policy changes are crucial for balancing Turkey’s economic growth with environmental goals, ensuring a more sustainable energy future.
Originality/value
This study explores the role of government policy in form of environmental tax in environmental performance in Turkey.
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De-Graft Joe Opoku, Joshua Ayarkwa and Kofi Agyekum
The construction industry plays an important role in the achievement of the 11th and 15th of the Sustainable Development Goals. Efforts have been made by most developing and…
Abstract
Purpose
The construction industry plays an important role in the achievement of the 11th and 15th of the Sustainable Development Goals. Efforts have been made by most developing and developed economies toward the achievement of these goals. Despite the efforts being made by the construction industry toward the achievement of these goals, there are still barriers that prevent built environment consultants from advancing environmental sustainability (ES) of construction projects. The purpose of this paper is to identify barriers to ES of construction projects.
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive literature review on barriers to the adoption of ES was conducted and face-to-face semi-structured interviews of purposively selected built environment consultants in Ghana were carried out. Thematic template analysis of qualitative data was conducted.
Findings
The key findings from the study include perceived initial costs, lack of knowledge on ES, technological difficulties, external pressures in adopting ES practices and environmental conditions in developing countries.
Originality/value
The outputs of this study offer strategies which are very significant to the construction industry in embracing ES. Further, the findings contribute to knowledge on achieving the sustainable development agenda.
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Misinformation can have lasting impacts in the management and control of a public emergency. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how misinformation flows and how user…
Abstract
Purpose
Misinformation can have lasting impacts in the management and control of a public emergency. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how misinformation flows and how user characteristics can shape such flows in the context of a violent riot in Singapore.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors apply the two-step flow theory and discuss the mixed methods approach involving wrangling Twitter data and descriptive analysis to develop and analyse two corpuses of misinformation related to the riot.
Findings
The findings are mostly consistent with the two-step flow theory, in that misinformation flows to the masses from opinion leaders (as indicated by higher measures such as online social influence and followers/following ratio). In the presence of misinformation, tweets opposing such misinformation may not always come from opinion leaders.
Practical implications
The authors work furthers knowledge about how misinformation goes viral, which provides practical implications to help policymakers and scholars in understanding and managing the dynamics and pitfalls of misinformation during an emergency.
Originality/value
This paper tackles the problem of misinformation in public emergencies using a mixed methods approach and contributes to ongoing theoretical work on managing online misinformation especially in public emergencies and crises.
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Isiaka Akande Raifu, Joshua Adeyemi Afolabi and Abdulkhalid Anda Salihu
The literature has well-documented the positive economic effects of both leisure and religious tourism. However, certain events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and others, can…
Abstract
Purpose
The literature has well-documented the positive economic effects of both leisure and religious tourism. However, certain events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and others, can impair the positive effect. Hence, the purpose of this study is to simulate the effect of counterfactual changes in religious tourism on Saudi Arabia’s economic growth during the MATAF expansion project and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (DARDL) and kernel-based regularised least squares (KRLS) estimation techniques to analyse data spanning 1970–2022.
Findings
The results refuted the positive effect of spiritual tourism, especially during the two events. The simulation results show that a shock in predicted religious tourism will lower economic growth marginally in the short term but substantially in the long run.
Practical implications
The Saudi Arabian government should prioritise strategic infrastructural development such as expanding roads, airports and renovating worship centres during periods of low demand to promote economic growth through religious tourism. This will allow for the accommodation of a growing number of pilgrims without disrupting religious activities. In addition, it is imperative for the government to engage in international cooperation with other governments to proactively avert future pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originality/value
Even though many studies have examined the effect of religious tourism on economic growth, to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first one that simulates the effect of counterfactual changes in religious tourism on economic growth during the MATAF expansion project and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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John Olatunji Adeoti, Olufemi Adebola Popoola and Joshua Adeyemi Afolabi
Nigeria’s quest to industrialize has received major attention in recent times. Special economic zones (SEZs) are thus recognized as capable of providing opportunities for firms to…
Abstract
Purpose
Nigeria’s quest to industrialize has received major attention in recent times. Special economic zones (SEZs) are thus recognized as capable of providing opportunities for firms to improve innovation capability and export performance. Limited empirical evidence exists on their economic impacts, particularly in terms of promoting innovation and exporting. This makes it difficult to provide accurate impact estimates or identify the channels through which the SEZ affects firm behavior. This study aims to specifically establish the Nigerian pattern of firm behavior in SEZs to improve the understanding of African SEZs and the appropriate incentives that can foster industrialization.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used primary data from a survey of firms in Nigeria’s active SEZs and in-depth interviews of major stakeholders. The primary data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire administered to firms within the selected SEZs and an in-depth interview guide. The sampled SEZs were in Lagos, Ogun, Kano and Cross River States. In-depth interviews were conducted with the zone management, Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority officials and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, content analyses of policy documents, principal component analysis, logit regression and two-stage least squares regression.
Findings
The results suggest that the number of incentives offered to SEZ firms does not matter for improved firm performance in terms of innovation and exports. Firms’ export performance is poor because firms do not comply with the basic tenet of SEZ as an area dedicated to free trade and consequent mandatory export of manufactures and services from the free trade enclave. Although firms in the Nigerian SEZs are considered to be fairly innovative, it is important to note that there is no evidence of innovation that is new to the world among these firms.
Research limitations/implications
The research team could not visit the zones in the Northeast region of the country due to insecurity. Some of the zones had also become inactive at the time of the survey, and the response rate from firms was very low. This limited the number of sampled firms.
Practical implications
The findings imply that the NEPZA Act needs to be revised to reflect the contextual realities of SEZs in Nigeria. The policies and details of each incentive offered by the government should be made clear to investors. For example, the permission given for SEZ firms to sell 100% of their manufactured, assembled or imported goods into the domestic market should be revisited as it obviously affects innovation and exports negatively. This would tremendously help SEZ firms fulfill their mandate of promoting exports, improving FDI attraction, enhancing industrialization and promoting economic competitiveness.
Originality/value
Previous studies have either focused on how SEZs affect innovation or influence export performance without accounting for the role of incentives in shaping innovation and export performance. This study fills this knowledge gap by providing evidence on the type of incentives for firms in Nigeria’s SEZs, investigating their effects (or otherwise) on innovation activities at the firm level and ascertaining how improvement in innovation capacity arising from the incentives affects firms’ export performance.