Kuen-Hung Tsai and Li-li Zheng
This study develops a framework to examine how, why and when different traits of employee curiosity affect service creativity by considering the roles of knowledge sharing and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study develops a framework to examine how, why and when different traits of employee curiosity affect service creativity by considering the roles of knowledge sharing and task autonomy.
Design/methodology/approach
To reduce common method bias, this work separated the variables investigated into three parts, each of which was randomly used to collect data at three different periods. A total of 822 matched questionnaires obtained from frontline employees of service firms provided useable data for hypothesis tests. A moderated mediation approach was employed to analyse the data.
Findings
Results are as follows: (1) Deprivation sensitivity, joyous exploration and social curiosity have positive effects on knowledge collecting (KC) and knowledge donating (KD). (2) KD mediates the relationships between the three curiosity traits and service creativity. (3) Task autonomy enhances and suppresses the mediating effects of KC and KD, respectively, on the curiosity–service creativity relationship.
Research limitations/implications
This study has two main research implications: First, as different types (traits) of employee curiosity have different effects on service creativity, a single-dimensional view of employee curiosity may mask the differences of individual dimension and lead to a oversimplified conclusion. Second, lifting the vein from employee curiosity to service creativity has to consider the roles of knowledge sharing and task autonomy.
Originality/value
This research is the first to contribute to the service innovation literature by revealing the underlying mechanisms through which different types of employee curiosity affect service creativity and uncovering the moderating roles of task autonomy in the process mechanisms.
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Baoru Zhou and Li Zheng
This study aims to investigate the motivations for the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies among manufacturing firms in developing economies. Specifically, the effects of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the motivations for the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies among manufacturing firms in developing economies. Specifically, the effects of relative advantage of the technologies, competitive pressure, and government support on the adoption are explored. Moreover, the mediating role of top management support between environmental factors (government support and competitive pressure) and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies is examined.
Design/methodology/approach
A research model is developed based on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework strengthened by institutional theory. Structural equation modeling (SEM) approach is employed to evaluate the model using data obtained from 215 manufacturing firms through a cross-industry survey. Additionally, a post-hoc analysis is conducted using cluster analysis and ANOVA.
Findings
The results show that competitive pressure and government support significantly promote top management support, which in turn contributes to the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. Relative advantage of the technologies is not significantly related to the adoption.
Research limitations/implications
This study does not explore the relationship between technology type and the specific needs of manufacturing firms. Future researchers can conduct a more comprehensive analysis by examining how different technology types align with the unique needs of individual companies.
Practical implications
The findings of this study have implications for both policymakers and managers. Policymakers can leverage these insights to understand the underlying motivations behind manufacturing firms' adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and develop promoting policies. In turn, managers should keep an eye on government policies and utilize government support to facilitate technology adoption.
Originality/value
This study uncovers the underlying motivations—government support and competitive pressure—for the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies among manufacturing firms in developing economies. Meanwhile, it complements previous research by showing the mediating role of top management support between environmental factors (government support and competitive pressure) and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies.
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Cen Song, Li Zheng and Xiaojun (Gene) Shan
Internet-famous food (also known as “online celebrity” food) is very popular in the digital age. This study aims to investigate consumer attitudes and understand consumer behavior…
Abstract
Purpose
Internet-famous food (also known as “online celebrity” food) is very popular in the digital age. This study aims to investigate consumer attitudes and understand consumer behavior towards Internet-famous food.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected 136,835 online comments regarding “Internet-famous food” from Dianping platform between 2016 and 2019 using a web scraper. A sentiment lexicon for Internet-famous food was constructed, and sentiment analysis is further conducted to understand consumer attitudes. Additionally, the authors use topic analysis and time series analysis to study consumer behavior.
Findings
Sentiment analysis showed that the number of consumers' comments decreased over time with the attitudes being overall positive, and the Internet-famous food industry has a positive prospect; time series analysis showed that the consumption of Internet-famous food was not affected by the season; topic analysis showed that consumers' comments on Internet-famous food were rich with a large variety, covering food categories, brand, quality, service, environment and price.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, limited research has focused on public opinions regarding “Internet-famous food”. This is the first study on consumer behavior towards Internet-famous food. This article provides a unique insight into the purchasing behavior and attitude of Chinese Internet-famous food consumers through text mining.
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Yuejiao Zhao, Li Zheng and Ruofan Zhao
This study aims to examine the impact of geographical and business proximity between parent companies and affiliates on R&D investments in business groups. Furthermore, it…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the impact of geographical and business proximity between parent companies and affiliates on R&D investments in business groups. Furthermore, it compares the moderating effect of value chain participants’ bargaining power and the performance-aspiration gap.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses data from 411 Chinese private manufacturing listed firms affiliated with business groups. This paper conducts regression analysis using Stata 16.0 software. Additionally, this paper employs combined random effects regression models, the 2SLS method and GMM method.
Findings
Geographical distance between focal affiliates and parent companies is negatively related to focal affiliates’ R&D. The higher the business proximity between focal affiliates and parent companies, the more R&D investments are made. Further research shows that with stronger bargaining power and a wider performance-aspiration gap, the negative relationship between geographical distance and R&D investment weakens.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the R&D investment literature by offering a novel perspective on why proximity influences affiliates’ R&D investments in Chinese business groups. This study enriches the proximity theory by introducing business proximity as a new dimension into the framework. Furthermore, this study highlights the boundary conditions of the proximity theory by ascertaining the moderating effects of bargaining power and the performance-aspiration gap.
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Abstract
Purpose
The relationship between cooperative R&D network embeddedness and firm innovation resilience is understudied. This paper seeks to answer the questions of whether and how embedding in cooperative R&D networks improve digital firms’ innovation resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
Based upon social capital theory, this paper proposes a conceptual model with several hypotheses. The empirical analysis is based on a sample of 2,908 observations from 2005 to 2022. We measure firm innovation resilience by drawing on economic resilience and use LSM tests to assess the effect of cooperative R&D network position on innovation resilience.
Findings
The results indicate that cooperative R&D network centrality has a positive impact on firm innovation resilience and that the structural holes of the cooperative R&D network have an inverted U-shaped relationship with firm innovation resilience. Moreover, technological turbulence negatively moderates the relationship between centrality and firm innovation resilience while also steepening the inverted U-shaped relationship between structural holes and firm innovation resilience. Market turbulence positively moderates the relationship between centrality and firm innovation resilience. However, the moderating effect of market turbulence on the inverted U-shaped relationship between structural holes and firm innovation resilience is not significant.
Research limitations/implications
Innovators' knowledge needs, bounded rationality, interests, and even organizational environments change over time, thus prompting them to constantly seek new opportunities to exchange and integrate knowledge, meet new beneficial partners, maintain beneficial cooperation, or terminate unhelpful cooperation. The utility of the network structure has dynamic characteristics. Only by considering the dynamics of the network can research on the mechanism of network structure be more complete, accurate and convincing. Therefore, future research can pay more attention to the relationship between dynamic networks and firm innovation resilience.
Practical implications
Firms should actively embed themselves in the cooperative R&D network and occupy a beneficial network position. By joining the cooperative R&D network, firms can gain resource advantages and enhance their ability to resist external shocks and improve innovation resilience.
Originality/value
This research advances our understanding of the antecedents of firm innovation resilience through the lens of organizational cooperation and uncovers the boundary conditions under which network embeddedness influences innovation resilience, thereby further enriching the theoretical framework of innovation resilience.
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Abstract
Purpose
External environment drives established enterprises to employ management innovation. Drawing on dual-process theories, this paper purports to investigate TMT's intuitive and rational decision-making styles as mediating roles between perceived environmental turbulences and management innovation, and explain how organizational slack play an critical moderating role.
Design/methodology/approach
SPSS 25 is used to test 120 established enterprises' top management team (TMT) samples in China, and the moderated mediation model is empirically tested by using hierarchical regression analysis and conditional process analysis.
Findings
Perceived environmental turbulences promotes management innovation. Organizational slack as contextual variable influences the relationship between technology turbulence and TMT's decision-making styles. Interestingly, only perceived technology turbulence indirectly affects management innovation through TMT's intuitive decision-making when moderated by organizational slack. However, the indirect effect from perceived market turbulence to management innovation through TMT's rational decision-making is not significant when moderated by organizational slack.
Originality/value
Based on management innovation's human agency perspective, TMT's decision-making styles have not been discussed in research on management innovation. This paper sheds light on TMT's decision-making styles as mediating role.
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Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyse the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on corporate innovation efficiency and the mechanism underlying this effect.
Design/methodology/approach
Data of non-financial listed companies operating in China from 2010 to 2019 were employed. Dual fixed-effects and dynamic panel models were used to explore the relationship between CSR and corporate innovation efficiency, and analyse its heterogeneity.
Findings
The researchers found that CSR reduces innovation efficiency in China. Further, (1) when enterprises conduct CSR to obtain excess returns, it is easy to form excess goodwill; (2) under the pressure of the government and society, enterprises passively assume CSR, thereby crowding out R&D funds; and (3) regardless of whether companies in the high-tech industry actively or passively assume social responsibilities, CSR will not have a significant impact on their innovation efficiency.
Research limitations/implications
The sample of this research is limited to Chinese A-share listed companies and lacks consideration for small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, whether the conclusions of this article are applicable to small and medium-sized enterprises or family enterprises needs further verification.
Practical implications
The research explores the intrinsic motivation and possible consequences of CSR from the dual perspectives of corporate active and passive.
Social implications
The ultimate goal of a firm is to make a profit. In practice, few enterprises pay without any return. Perhaps some companies actively assume social responsibilities in order to obtain greater benefits, while passively assume social responsibilities due to oppression.
Originality/value
This study analyses the impact of CSR on corporate innovation efficiency from both active and passive perspectives. The results have important implications for government officials and entrepreneurs.
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Zhijun Chen and Li Zheng
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of subsidiary autonomy on subsidiary performance under uncertainty. Based on previous studies, the authors classify…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of subsidiary autonomy on subsidiary performance under uncertainty. Based on previous studies, the authors classify subsidiary autonomy into two categories, namely, strategic autonomy and operational autonomy, and investigate the relationships between these two categories of subsidiary autonomy and subsidiary performance under uncertainty.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample includes the subsidiaries listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges in China from 2012 to 2015. Ordinary least squares are used to examine the hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicate that strategic autonomy is negatively related to subsidiary performance, whereas operational autonomy is positively associated with subsidiary performance. Moreover, uncertainty weakens the negative strategic autonomy-subsidiary performance linkage.
Originality/value
The findings of this study indicate that two categories of subsidiary autonomy (strategic autonomy, operational autonomy) have different effects on subsidiary performance. Moreover, uncertainty moderates the above relationships. This study explores the relationship between subsidiary autonomy and subsidiary performance and provides a useful guidance for the selection of subsidiaries’ management modes.
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Mark Schaub and Garland Simmons
American depository receipts (ADRs) listed on the New York Stock Exchange during the 1990s and 2000s are compared to determine how well they performed versus the US index and…
Abstract
American depository receipts (ADRs) listed on the New York Stock Exchange during the 1990s and 2000s are compared to determine how well they performed versus the US index and respective regional indexes utilizing three-year holding period excess returns. Results suggest that ADRs listed in the 2000s perform better than those in the 1990s. Also, seasoned equity offerings performed better than initial public offerings. Regression analysis indicated the best predictors of ADR performance are the returns of the respective regional index where the ADR-listing firm is headquartered, the date of issue (2000s vs 1990s), and whether the ADR was from an emerging economy.