Search results

Focuses on the exploration of consumer experience and attitudes towards online interaction within virtual communities. One of the emerging e‐commerce business models, the consumer to consumer “community” model, is relatively new but underpins the framework for the research conducted. The dramatic change in terms of how consumers interact with each other and potentially engage with direct marketers is epitomised by a change in the level of perceived control with a shift towards consumer‐controlled interaction. The growth in virtual or on‐line communities is part of this evolution, and this paper reports on the qualitative phase of an ESF/DMA‐funded research project.

Increasing numbers of full‐time students at school, college and university are combining study with work in marginal, flexible, low‐ paid, part‐time service jobs. The employment relationship is highly informal and the contract may simply be the product of coincidence, because the idea that employers follow a particular strategy with regard to the employment of labour, simplifies the complexities and vagaries of the labour market. Although this phenomenon is bringing more young males into the part‐time labour force, young females remain disadvantaged in regard to the substantive terms of the effort/reward exchange. These factors necessitate a rethink and revision of the main theories of labour force analysis.

Increasing proportions of students are working part‐time in industries such as hospitality. To understand more about this phenomenon, 11 case studies of hospitality establishments employing a significant proportion of students were compiled by matching data provided by managers and students working in these establishments. Concludes that employers’ employment of student labour could be a combination of strategic choice and pragmatic response ‐ a kind of pragmatic strategy that may be tantamount to a “coincidence of varying interests”.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate social performance (CSP) in literature from its inception to 2013.

Using a bibliometric technique, the authors examine CSR’s epistemological orientation and determine whether it is primarily composed of authors building on each other’s work (“progressive”), or comprises the development of alternative constructs (“variegational”), or whether both orientations exist side-by-side within a dynamic, multidimensional concept.

The paper reviews bibliometric analysis of the epistemological evolution of the CSR concept within the management literature, from 1972 to 2002, using a dataset to that time of approximately 500 articles. Since then, the evolving CSR/CSP literature has transitioned the main CSR debate from a “whether or not to”, to a “how to” implement CSR debate, and the body of literature has grown to over 8,000 articles. The authors find that the progression of the CSR construct is both variegational and progressive. They identify that the predominant theoretical theme is based on stakeholder theory.

The results of this research, identifying that the epistemological evolution of the CSR concept within the recent management literature can be characterised as being both variegational and progressive, adds a valuable contribution to the ongoing and increasing body of knowledge relating to CSR.

The results of this study may be of practical importance to scholars in identifying relevant foci for their future research into the CSR construct.

The purpose of this paper is to test how an individual’s attractiveness to three types of appraisal systems relates to self-rated psychological entitlement and ethics; and constructs rated by others of: conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness.

A sample of 148 students in graduate-level business courses and matching close friends/significant others were surveyed. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression and path analysis.

Path analysis indicated acceptable fit for the overall model of attractiveness to three appraisal types.

Advocates of forced distribution ranking systems (FDRS) suggest that such systems stimulate a high-talent culture and that achievers and strong performers are attracted to FDRS. In contrast, the findings suggest that FDRS are attractive to individuals with high levels of psychological entitlement and low levels of conscientiousness.

Advocates of FDRS and prior research have indicated that such systems reduce leniency bias and stimulate a high-performance and high-talent culture in which honesty is expected and poor performance is not tolerated. Others have found that high achievers and high performers are likely to find such systems attractive. The present study suggests that one downside of FDRS is its attractiveness to workers with low levels of conscientiousness and higher levels of psychological entitlement, which are two personality traits associated with lower levels of performance and a variety of negative outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to examine how the pressures from stakeholders located in company's country of origin and level of internationalization of the company influence the implementation of socially responsible supply chain management (SR-SCM) practices.

To assess this level of influence, an SR-SCM performance index is developed by building on existing theoretical frameworks and using secondary data from ThomsonReuters’ WorldScope and ASSET4 databases to capture responsible supply chain actions categorized in communication, compliance and supplier development strategies. The analysis is based on 1,252 international companies from diverse countries and sectors between 2007 and 2016.

The effectiveness of stakeholder pressures in facilitating the adoption of socially responsible practices varies greatly with regard to the strategic element of SR-SCM and the type stakeholders considered. Companies that are more internationalized tend to adopt a greater number of SR-SCM practices, whereas home country stakeholders are of diminishing relevance with the increasing internationalization of a company.

Governments in companies’ countries of origin should ensure that social issues in supply chains are adequately covered by regulations. Ideally, laws should not only cover firms’ domestic operations but also their global activities.

Citizens should be given the opportunities to raise their voice and publicly express their disagreement with business misconduct and non-compliance. Apart from that, the role of workers’ associations and investors in the social sustainability debate should be strengthened.

This study contributes to SR-SCM theory development by operationalizing existing conceptual frameworks, showing how domestic stakeholders shape SR-SCM performance and analyzing whether the influence of certain stakeholder groups diminishes or increases when a company is more globally-oriented in its operations.

The purpose of this study is to identify the motivating factors that influence repeat participation among university student volunteers at a world-renowned food festival. The direct and indirection relationship (through attitude toward volunteering) was tested. Additionally, the moderating role of class standing between student volunteers' motivations, attitudes and repeat volunteer intention was assessed.

Researchers applied a quantitative methodology to data collected after the festival volunteering experience. The research team collected 205 useable surveys from university student volunteers at the Food Network and Cooking Channel South Beach Wine and Food Festival (SOBEWFF®). Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships among volunteer motivations, attitude toward volunteering and intention to continue volunteering. Lastly, a multiple-group analysis was applied to test the moderating role of class standing.

The results showed the motivating factors purposive, personal enrichment and family traditions were significant in predicting attitude toward volunteering. These motivations did not significantly affect intention to continue volunteering; thus researchers found only an indirect relationship (through attitude toward volunteering) between volunteering motivations and intention to continue volunteering. Additionally, a positive attitude toward volunteering resulted in an intention to continue volunteering. Lastly, testing the moderating role of class standing revealed significant results on three pathways, indicating that students are motivated to volunteer differently based upon class standing (freshman through junior vs. senior, graduate).

The data were collected prior to COVID-19, and the ways in which COVID-19 has impacted the events industry and the scape of future events are yet to be determined.

Festival organizers and managers should appeal to different motivations of potential student volunteers depending on their class standing. For example, results of the moderator “class standing” indicated that the relationship between personal enrichment motivation and attitude toward volunteering was strongest and significant among freshmen, sophomores and juniors, but insignificant among seniors and graduate students. Thus, freshmen through juniors are more highly motivated to obtain practical experiences, and this motivation results in a positive attitude toward volunteering.

This study tests the moderating role of class standing to help predict intention to continue volunteering at a special event. The research is further unique by extending an understanding of the validity and reliability of the special events volunteer motivations scale.

In a world that glorifies power, the lives of the powerless serve as context for testimonies of salvation that in their pretentiousness more often reinforce the reputation and self-esteem of the powerful hero than transform the lives of the oppressed. Whereas these types of popular human-interest stories may raise awareness of the conditions surrounding the powerless, they do little more than advance the notion that these individuals are without hope and must rely solely on the generosity, resources, and leadership of the powerful populations by which they are exploited. We seek to offer a contrasting perspective in this chapter. That is, we present a framework that challenges messianic notions of leaders of ineffectual populations and presses forth with the idea that powerlessness is a more common condition than feeling powerful and that only the powerless can alter their destiny.

The Whole Child Initiative (WCI) was developed over the past 15 years as a blueprint to promote long-term development and success of all children, as well as their families and communities. This chapter describes three aspects of the WCI model: (a) the need for a public health approach to sustainable, communitywide change targeting the whole child; (b) a clear, future-oriented vision for equipping educators, caregivers, and service providers with the skills and attitudes required to deliver high-quality instruction; and (c) the infusion of social and emotional learning practices to transform environments in which youth live and play. We provide examples of how schools, communities, and families can come together to create a common culture fostering stable and nurturing relationships essential for enhancing youth well-being. We close with recommended “super strategies” – low-cost, simple, and effective practices that can be broadly implemented to keep every child healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged in the community at large.

The research examines the training practices in all public houses in a small town and contrasts differing training provisions. The industry is divided into small independent owners and two major types of pub owning companies, one of which operates managed estates, and the other relies on renting their premises and supplying their tenants and lessees with products. The managed estates employ extensive training programmes, while the letting estates seldom impose training conditions on their tenants and lessees. This brings into question the business strategy of organisations with rented estates, as the profitability of their tenants and lessees impacts directly on their own profitability.