Wing Kai Stephen Chiu and Lai Hang Dennis Hui
This study aims to offer authors’ humble yet unique experiences about developing an undergraduate sociology programme in an increasingly divided city.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to offer authors’ humble yet unique experiences about developing an undergraduate sociology programme in an increasingly divided city.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the authors reflect upon the development of a new sociology programme in Hong Kong in which a wide spectrum of expectations from different stakeholders, together with their own sense of mission towards sociology education, have set a very challenging stage.
Findings
Developing an undergraduate sociology programme has never been easy, and there is no self-complacence as far as developing a programme that is of both academic and social values.
Originality/value
This paper offers a first-hand account of how sociology educators have developed a new sociology programme in a unique social context.
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Dennis Lai Hang Hui and Ryan Chi Yan Au
– The purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay between police legitimacy and protest policing with reference to the case of Hong Kong.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay between police legitimacy and protest policing with reference to the case of Hong Kong.
Design/methodology/approach
This study will review the concepts of police legitimacy and protest policing and examine the evolving policing practices in Hong Kong since 2010.
Findings
The study argues that the increasing polarisation of society could render policing protest a potential source of problem for sustaining police legitimacy.
Originality/value
This is a pioneering study that looks at the interplay between police legitimacy and protest policing.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the origin of the development of insolvency laws in China and Russia and explores the evolving role of the states in the legislative…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the origin of the development of insolvency laws in China and Russia and explores the evolving role of the states in the legislative process.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is conducted based on the analysis of historical materials and the relevant secondary sources written in Chinese and Russian.
Findings
The paper argues that the development of the insolvency laws in China and Russia underlines the diverging perceptions by the states about the ways to improve economic performance through reforming their respective state enterprise system. On the other hand, the unsatisfactory utilisation of the laws in the these countries revealed the incompleteness of the wider institutional reform that opened up possibilities for predatory exploitations and corruptive practices which in turn upset the market-building in these developing economies.
Originality value
This study highlights that by bring back the state into the analysis, the competing ideas, interests and institutions in the development of insolvency laws can be identified.
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Hui-Min Lai, Shin-Yuan Hung and David C. Yen
Seekers who visit professional virtual communities (PVCs) are usually motivated by knowledge-seeking, which is a complex cognitive process. How do seekers search for knowledge…
Abstract
Purpose
Seekers who visit professional virtual communities (PVCs) are usually motivated by knowledge-seeking, which is a complex cognitive process. How do seekers search for knowledge, and how is their search linked to prior knowledge or PVC situation factors? From the cognitive process and interactional psychology perspectives, this study investigated the three-way interactions between seekers’ expertise, task complexity, and perceptions of PVC features (i.e. knowledge quality and system quality) on knowledge-seeking strategies and resultant outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
A field experiment was conducted with 119 seekers in a PVC using a 2 × 2 factorial design of seekers’ expertise (i.e. expert versus novice) and task complexity (i.e. low versus high).
Findings
The study reveals three significant insights: (1) For a high-complexity task, experts adopt an ask-directed searching strategy compared to novices, whereas novices adopt a browsing strategy; (2) For a high-complexity task, experts who perceive a high system quality are more likely than novices to adopt an ask-directed searching strategy; and (3) Task completion time and task quality are associated with the adoption of ask-directed searching strategies, whereas knowledge seekers’ satisfaction is more associated with the adoption of browsing strategy.
Originality/value
We draw on the perspectives of cognitive process and interactional psychology to explore potential two- and three-way interactions of seekers’ expertise, task complexity, and PVC features on the adoption of knowledge-seeking strategies in a PVC context. Our findings provide deep insights into seekers’ behavior in a PVC, given the popularity of the search for knowledge in PVCs.
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Chia-Chen Chen, Patrick C.K. Hung, Erol Egrioglu, Dickson K.W. Chiu and Kevin K.W. Ho
Chao Feng, Jinjun Yu, Yajing Fan and Hui Chen
Integrating transaction costs economics and task-technology fit theory, this study distinguishes two categories of social media–enabled interactions, namely task-related…
Abstract
Purpose
Integrating transaction costs economics and task-technology fit theory, this study distinguishes two categories of social media–enabled interactions, namely task-related interactions and tie-related interactions, and explores the match between these two and firms' use of contracts in achieving safeguarding and coordinating purposes in interfirm governance.
Design/methodology/approach
Two studies were conducted to test the hypotheses. In Study 1, this study collaborated with a professional market research firm and collected responses from Chinese manufacturing firms in a survey. In Study 2, this study designed a scenario-based experiment and collected 239 participants from the Credamo platform.
Findings
This study categorized social media–enabled interactions into task-related interactions and tie-related interactions and conducted two studies to reveal that the safeguarding purpose of contract specificity is amplified by tie-related interactions, whereas the coordinating purpose of contract specificity is strengthened by task-related interactions.
Research limitations/implications
This study assumes that firms permit and encourage the use of social media. However, some firms might prohibit the use of social media due to risk issues, or their partners may be prohibited from using social media.
Practical implications
Given that social media–enabled interactions have joint effects with contracts in achieving safeguarding and coordinating purposes, a firm's employees should match their goals with an appropriate type of social media–enabled interactions.
Originality/value
This study enriches the interfirm governance literature by uncovering the roles of these two types of interactions in matching contract specificity to achieve safeguarding and coordinating purposes, which provides actionable insights for managers in governing interfirm relationships.
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Kewen Wu, Julita Vassileva, Qinghua Zhu, Hui Fang and Xiaojie Tan
Wiki forms a new model of virtual collaboration. The original wiki is designed to hide content authorship information. Such design may hinder users from being aware of task…
Abstract
Purpose
Wiki forms a new model of virtual collaboration. The original wiki is designed to hide content authorship information. Such design may hinder users from being aware of task conflict, resulting in low-efficient conflict management and decreased group performance. This study aims at increasing users' awareness of task conflict to facilitate wiki-based collaboration.
Design/methodology/approach
A visual feedback dialog box is designed to increase users' awareness of task conflict. A survey-based comparative study is conducted by using original wiki and modified wiki (the new design). A total of 301 participants are invited. Structural equation model (SEM) is used to analyze survey data.
Findings
Most users are willing to solve conflict issues, and the dialog box can increase users' awareness of task conflict. Conflict awareness can promote user's participation, gain better conflict resolution and improve group performance. The dialog box can enhance the influence of conflict awareness on user participation and conflict resolution, but reduce the influence of conflict awareness on group performance.
Research limitations/implications
Only undergraduate students are invited, some typical variables are not included. The design needs improvement.
Originality/value
A new wiki tool is designed. The influence of conflict awareness is explored while previous studies largely ignore this variable.
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Bing Zhu, Suwanna Kowatthanakul and Punnaluck Satanasavapak
The rapid growth of e-commerce has encouraged online retailers to adapt to the purchase behaviour of Generation Y consumers. For this purchase, the purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The rapid growth of e-commerce has encouraged online retailers to adapt to the purchase behaviour of Generation Y consumers. For this purchase, the purpose of this paper is to investigate Generation Y online consumer repurchase intention in Thai context based on Stimuli-Organism-Response (SOR) model.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were used to test the hypotheses that Generation Y consumer online response is influenced by online environment cues and organism. In total, 401 questionnaires were collected in Bangkok through judgemental sampling and convenient sampling. SPSS 24 was used to analyse Generation Y consumers’ demographic information and reliability test. Amos 24 was utilized to examine measurement model and structural equation model.
Findings
The findings finally revealed that website security presents the strongest influence on Generation Y consumers trust. Also, online promotion possesses the weakest association with Generation Y consumers trust. More importantly, Generation Y consumer online repurchase intention is positively influenced by the degree of trust they have towards websites. The implications of the findings for marketers are discussed.
Research limitations/implications
The empirical data are limited to generate findings from a limited number of Generation Y consumers in Bangkok only. Also, the study limits itself to explore only inter-relationship in the scope of SOR.
Practical implications
It is suggested that in order to draw attention from and retain Generation Y consumers, online retailers should aim at strengthening trust-building in the online buyer–seller context as well as a dynamic promotional campaign. Moreover, a constellation of relevant marketing strategies is recommended.
Originality/value
Since there is a lack of implementation of SOR model based on the Thai context, this paper fills the gap by illustrating how SOR works in Thailand with updating findings.
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Lin Jia, Ying Zhang and Chen Lin
Social interaction in comment sections has become a key factor for backers' decision making in crowdfunding platforms. However, current research on the two-way social interaction…
Abstract
Purpose
Social interaction in comment sections has become a key factor for backers' decision making in crowdfunding platforms. However, current research on the two-way social interaction in crowdfunding is insufficient, and there exist inconsistent conclusions. This study focuses on the social interaction between creators and backers and explores its influence on the successful exit of crowdfunding projects.
Design/methodology/approach
The extended Cox model is used for the empirical analysis of 1,988 crowdfunding projects on the Modian (www.modian.com) platform, a crowdfunding platform for cultural and creative projects in China. The two-way social interaction is reflected in comment quantity and sentiment, as well as reply rate.
Findings
Results reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between comment quantity/sentiment and the successful exit of crowdfunding projects. This relationship is strengthened by high reply rate.
Originality/value
This study focuses on comment quantity and sentiment. The inverted U-shaped results reconcile previous conclusions. Replies from creators are regarded as a separate factor, and their moderating role is explained. The study research proves the importance of social interaction in crowdfunding platforms and provides suggestions for backers, creators and platform managers.