Chang He, Fu Jia, Liukai Wang, Lujie Chen and Kieran Fernandes
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) decoupling indicates a misalignment between how firms report CSR and what firms actually practice with respect to CSR. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) decoupling indicates a misalignment between how firms report CSR and what firms actually practice with respect to CSR. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between CSR decoupling and financial performance and the factors affecting this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper collects and combines secondary panel data from multiple sources of Chinese listed firms from 2008 to 2020 to test the direct impact of CSR decoupling on firms’ financial performance and the moderating role of customer structure and operational slack.
Findings
This paper finds that CSR decoupling is negatively associated with firms’ financial performance. These findings further suggest that the negative relationship can be suppressed by customer stability and operational slack, but amplified by customer concentration. These conclusions remain robust to alternate measures of independent and dependent variables and narrower samples.
Originality/value
In the literature, the effect of CSR on firms’ financial performance is inconclusive. This is the first study to examine the impact of CSR decoupling on firms’ financial performance and the factors affecting this relationship. This paper contributes to the CSR decoupling literature from an operations and supply chain management perspective.
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Dilip S. Mutum, Ahmad Hata Hussein and Ezlika M. Ghazali
This study investigates the antecedents of student loyalty towards universities. This study offers new insights into postgraduate loyalty in the context of the Malaysian higher…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the antecedents of student loyalty towards universities. This study offers new insights into postgraduate loyalty in the context of the Malaysian higher education industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Partial least squares structural equation modelling is used to analyse data obtained from a survey of 231 postgraduate students in Malaysia.
Findings
The findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between price value and both student satisfaction and student loyalty. There are also strong relationships between learning environment and student satisfaction and between student satisfaction and student loyalty. While university prestige showed a significant relationship with student satisfaction, it is not related to student loyalty. Another important finding is that price value has a strong and direct relationship with both student satisfaction and student loyalty.
Originality/value
This study presents an updated empirical model of student loyalty. Contrary to previous studies, the results indicate that service quality is not related to student satisfaction. However, it is found to influence student loyalty towards the University. The results also indicate the important mediating effect of student satisfaction. This is the first study to look specifically at student satisfaction and loyalty of postgraduate students in Malaysia.
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Cedwyn Fernandes, Kieran Ross and Mohammad Meraj
The purpose of this paper is to verify and estimate the impact of the antecedents of Programme satisfaction and to explore its link with student loyalty in the higher education…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to verify and estimate the impact of the antecedents of Programme satisfaction and to explore its link with student loyalty in the higher education (HE) sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Design/methodology/approach
A Programme Experience Questionnaire (PEQ) was developed, based on the National Student Survey (NSS), which surveyed 187 graduates at a British university based in the UAE. Cronbach alpha tests were conducted to test the reliability of the variables and correlation and regression analysis were used to estimate the relationship and significance of the variables.
Findings
Teaching quality and variables directly associated with the students’ programme of study had the most significant impact on student satisfaction; thus emphasizing the need for recruitment and development of high quality academic faculty members. Academic feedback, library and IT resources did not have a significant impact. The link between Programme satisfaction and satisfaction with non‐academic services and facilities had a positive impact on student loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
In the competitive UAE HE sector, it is important to identify the antecedents and their variable impact on student satisfaction with their programme and its impact on loyalty. A comparison of results of the PEQ across a number of years and across other universities within the UAE, would help validate the results obtained in this paper.
Originality/value
Studies of this kind, whilst in their infancy within the UAE context, are important given the UAE HE market is attracting more entrants and becoming very competitive. The results may provide valuable insights for universities in developing appropriate strategies to improve student satisfaction and thus enhance their competitiveness.
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Andrei Bonamigo, Brenda Dettmann, Camila Guimarães Frech and Steffan Macali Werner
The purpose of this study is to recognize the facilitators and inhibitors of value co-creation in the industrial service environment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to recognize the facilitators and inhibitors of value co-creation in the industrial service environment.
Design/methodology/approach
First, a systematic literature review (SLR) based on the systematic search flow (SSF) method was conducted, using six databases. Then, the content analysis proposed by Bardin (2011) was used to analyze the selected papers from SLR.
Findings
The authors identified a total of 11 facilitators and four inhibitors of value co-creation in industrial services. The findings show that concerning facilitators, the involvement of actors and synergy among participants reported a higher presence. As for the inhibitors, incompatibility among actors and actors' inexperience in the context of value co-creation were the ones that registered the most frequency.
Research limitations/implications
Even though the SLR covered a large proportion of the studies available, this research may not have enabled a complete coverage of all existing peer-reviewed papers in the field of value co-creation in industrial services.
Practical implications
This study assists managers in enhancing the performance of the value co-creation process. This is because, by knowing both the facilitators and inhibitors, managers can have an improved understanding of this process, thereby pondering these elements on the elaboration of their strategies and decision-making.
Originality/value
This study is one of the first attempts to recognize both the facilitators and inhibitors of value co-creation in industrial services.
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Yaifa Trakulsunti, Jiju Antony, Mary Dempsey and Attracta Brennan
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and its associated tools to reduce dispensing errors in an inpatient pharmacy of a teaching hospital in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and its associated tools to reduce dispensing errors in an inpatient pharmacy of a teaching hospital in Thailand.
Design/methodology/approach
The action research methodology was used to illustrate the implementation of Lean Six Sigma through the collaboration between the researcher and participants. The project team followed the Lean Six Sigma Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) methodology and applied its tools in various phases of the methodology.
Findings
The number of dispensing errors decreased from 6 to 2 incidents per 20,000 inpatient days per month between April 2018 and August 2019 representing a 66.66% reduction. The project has improved the dispensing process performance resulting in dispensing error reduction and improved patient safety. The communication channels between the hospital pharmacy and the pharmacy technicians have also been improved.
Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted in an inpatient pharmacy of a teaching hospital in Thailand. Therefore, the findings from this study cannot be generalized beyond the specific setting. However, the findings are applicable in the case of similar contexts and/or situations.
Originality/value
This is the first study that employs a continuous improvement methodology for the purpose of improving the dispensing process and the quality of care in a hospital. This study contributes to an understanding of how the application of action research can save patients' lives, improve patient safety and increase work satisfaction in the pharmacy service.