Kate Yue Zhang and Bart Rienties
Global staffing has remained a main focus within the field of international human resource management (IHRM) since the 1970s. However, research in the psychological contract (PC…
Abstract
Purpose
Global staffing has remained a main focus within the field of international human resource management (IHRM) since the 1970s. However, research in the psychological contract (PC) of expatriates is limited. The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences in PC breach and violation for organisational expatriates and self-initiated expatriates (SIEs).
Design/methodology/approach
A survey questionnaire was developed covering 52 organisational expatriates and 119 SIEs from 35 countries/regions working in China. Four follow-up focus group interviews including four organisational expatriates and 12 SIEs were conducted to further explain the findings of the survey.
Findings
The findings indicate that organisational expatriates experience significantly lower levels of PC breach and violation than SIEs. Three broad thematic areas arose from the triangulation of focus group interviews, including uncertainties in functioning of contracts, differences in job securities and career development opportunities, and cultural differences.
Practical implications
Employers should give a comprehensive orientation and cultural training to meet the needs of SIEs. Moreover, long-term career advancement paths should also be provided to SIEs to alleviate their vulnerability and insecurities working abroad.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the scholarship of self-initiated expatriation and PCs and give implications to IHRM strategies.
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Jenna Mittelmeier, Divya Jindal-Snape, Bart Rienties, Kate Yue Zhang and Doris Yakun Chen
Supervisors and other academic staff can provide PhD students with invaluable professional support and opportunities for advancing their careers. This stems from the strong…
Abstract
Supervisors and other academic staff can provide PhD students with invaluable professional support and opportunities for advancing their careers. This stems from the strong academic and networking provisions often offered to PhD students by nature of the supervisory mentorship. Although this professional relationship is highly beneficial in itself, many PhD students also wish to develop social and more personal friendships with their supervisors, in addition to academic connections. In this way, PhD students may seek a space to comfortably share their personal lives, identities, and experiences with supervisors and develop a working and personal relationship that extends beyond their doctoral program.
In order to better support how and why PhD students build social and personal relationships with their supervisors, this chapter draws upon evidence from an international collaboration across three institutions in the United Kingdom and China related to doctoral students’ social transition experiences. Building on our experience using an innovative mixed method combination of social network analysis, longitudinal diaries, blogs, and in-depth interviews, we explore the complex, dynamic, and, at times, turbulent social relationships between PhD students and supervisors. Specifically, this chapter provides tips for PhD students to manage and maintain social relationships with their supervisors in order to build lasting connections. This includes advice for establishing personal acquaintanceships between students and supervisors and bridging the gap from supervisor to colleague to friend. Altogether, readers will consider actionable steps for developing socially meaningful and sincere relationships with supervisors or other mentors.
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Abstract
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Konstantinos Petridis, Evangelos Grigoroudis and Garyfallos Arabatzis
The design of a biomass supply chain is a problem where multiple stakeholders with often conflicting objectives are involved. To accommodate the aspects stakeholder, the supply…
Abstract
Purpose
The design of a biomass supply chain is a problem where multiple stakeholders with often conflicting objectives are involved. To accommodate the aspects stakeholder, the supply chain design should incorporate multiple objectives. In addition to the supply chain design, the management of energy from biomass is a demanding task, as the operation of production of biomass products needs to be aligned with the rest of the operations of the biomass supply chain. The purpose of the paper is to propose a mathematical framework for the optimal design of biomass supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
An integrated mathematical framework that models biomass production, transportation and warehousing throughout the nodes of a biomass supply chain is presented. Owing to conflicting objectives, weights are imposed on each aspect, and a 0-1 weighted goal programming mixed-integer linear programming (WGP MILP) programming model is formulated and used for all possible weight representations under environmental, economic and social criteria.
Findings
The results of the study show that emphasis on the environmental aspect, expressed with high values in the environmental criterion, significantly reduces the level of CO2 emissions derived from the transportation of biomass through the various nodes of the supply chain. Environmental and economic criteria seem to be moving in the same direction for high weight values in the corresponding aspect. From the results, social criterion seems to move to the opposite direction from environmental and economic criteria.
Originality/value
An integrated mathematical framework is presented modeling biomass production, transportation and warehousing. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, such a model that integrates multiple objectives with supply chain design has not yet been published.
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The purpose of this paper is a quantitative exploration of the annual report disclosure of contributions by Australian corporations to the relief appeal following the South-East…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is a quantitative exploration of the annual report disclosure of contributions by Australian corporations to the relief appeal following the South-East Asian tsunami of 26 December 2004.
Design/methodology/approach
Hypotheses are developed from legitimacy and media agenda setting perspectives, predicting relationships between financial characteristics of the corporations and of their contributions with respect to presence and volume of content and extent of disclosure of cash amounts. The effect of public awareness of contributions on disclosure variables is also examined. Hypotheses not supported are re-examined from an agency perspective.
Findings
Most correlations, such as company size and volume of content, are found to be consistent with a legitimacy perspective, while those not supported, such as company profit disclosure of cash amounts, can readily be explained from an accountability perspective. Overall, the results indicate a strong relationship between public awareness of the contributions and disclosing behaviour. Size of company and profit were related to some aspects of disclosure, while no relationship was detected between the size of the cash donation and disclosing behaviour.
Research limitations/implications
The findings have important implications for studies of the way in which corporations communicate with their shareholders and other stakeholders when conflicting interests exist and when media exposure has been positive. The results cannot be extrapolated to situations beyond the Tsunami Appeal.
Originality/value
Empirical research into the disclosure of corporate philanthropy by Australian corporations. Consideration of appropriate theoretical frameworks for study of corporate philanthropy disclosure.
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Adam Lindgreen, Yue Xu, François Maon and Jeremy Wilcock
The purpose of this empirical case study is to apply several existing frameworks to consider the notion of integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) with a brand…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this empirical case study is to apply several existing frameworks to consider the notion of integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) with a brand leadership strategy. The investigation focuses on two main questions: What are the core components for the development of a CSR brand? What capabilities are necessary to implement a CSR‐related brand strategy?
Design/methodology/approach
Five firms provide input for a multiple case‐based approach.
Findings
Intuitive and intended approaches for CSR brand leadership emerge from the multiple case study results. Different capabilities are required at each stage of the development and implementation process for CSR brand leadership.
Research limitations/implications
This research extends three prior studies – Aaker and Joachimsthaler's brand leadership framework, Maon et al.'s proposed integrative framework for designing and implementing CSR, and Beverland et al.'s capabilities view on the development of global brand leadership – and fills a theoretical gap.
Practical implications
Managers can use the proposed integrated and implementable framework to determine the impact of dynamic factors, such as ownership, culture, executive leadership, and the specific context of product and corporate branding, on the development and implementation of their CSR brand.
Originality/value
No studies examine how to leverage CSR in brand‐building activities. Specifically, no empirically grounded research examines the required path to create and manage CSR brands and associated benefits, nor is the number of capabilities required to develop a credible CSR brand clear. Comprehensive models of the processes for developing and implementing CSR brands and the capabilities that underlie them are needed. The proposed model emphasizes the contextualized need to rely on different capabilities at different stages of this development process to generate constructive and sustainable outcomes.
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Shan Wang, Ivan Ka Wai Lai and Jose Weng Chou Wong
This study explores how the effects of youth-oriented values influence the behavioural attitudes towards online conspicuous activities during travel, leading to their further…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores how the effects of youth-oriented values influence the behavioural attitudes towards online conspicuous activities during travel, leading to their further conspicuous consumption travel behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applied a mixed-methods approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 young tourists to extract the youth-oriented value measurement scale. A systematic survey was conducted in a renovated heritage site in China. PLS-SEM analysis was performed on 322 responses to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The results of semi-structured interviews supplement seven new items and form a measurement scale of youth-oriented values with 16 items in three dimensions (self-identification, peer-identification and eagerness to change). The results of PLS-SEM analysis reveal that all three youth-oriented values significantly influence attitudes towards information searching and content generation, and these two behavioural attitudes are positively related to continuous conspicuous consumption travel. The openness trait moderates the relationship between self-identification and content generation.
Originality/value
The study contributes to youth tourism research in conspicuous consumption travel behaviour. It provides insights to tourism operators to formulate strategies to develop the young tourist market in a cultural heritage tourism context.