Peter Hirsch and Peter Horowitz
The purpose of this article is to describe the experience of PricewaterhouseCoopers' partners in functioning in teams engaged on global development projects in the context of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to describe the experience of PricewaterhouseCoopers' partners in functioning in teams engaged on global development projects in the context of the relationship, created by so‐called globalization, between developed (particularly the US) and less developed countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The design of the paper sets the actual experience of the PricewaterhouseCoopers' partners who took part in Project Ulysses within the framework of contemporary geopolitical attitudes and briefly outlines the historical antecedents for Western (European and American) philanthropic efforts to assist economically less‐developed countries.
Findings
The paper describes the parallel benefits of Project Ulysses in supporting the developmental needs of the countries in which participants conducted their projects and the cultural awareness/team building outcomes for PricewaterhouseCoopers and its partners.
Originality/value
The value of the paper is that the case study it describes offers a model to other large multinational organizations faced with the challenges of creating cross‐cultural teams while at the same time presenting themselves as globally aware corporate citizens committed to participating concretely in the development of less developed countries. The care in preparation, training, measurement and follow up exhibited by the program offers a road map for other organizations contemplating similar initiatives.
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Laud Humphreys’ Tea Room Trade has been a regular topic in discussions of social research ethics for thirty years. This article reviews some of the past criticisms and offers a…
Abstract
Laud Humphreys’ Tea Room Trade has been a regular topic in discussions of social research ethics for thirty years. This article reviews some of the past criticisms and offers a current assessment of Humphreys’ research ethics.
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Investigates “cruising” (how homosexual men move around to various meeting sites), and how men keep this from intruding into their “normal” lives. Highlights how Laud Humphreys…
Abstract
Investigates “cruising” (how homosexual men move around to various meeting sites), and how men keep this from intruding into their “normal” lives. Highlights how Laud Humphreys researched this phenomenon through, initially, observing 12 “tearoom” regulars, while acting as a lookout. Herein the author primarily observed a highway rest area, but also urban parks, tearooms and commercial sex clubs – interviewing 19 regulars. Gives more specific details in the article. Concludes that cruising sites are not constant and uniform.
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Considers cases of new product launches where market analysissuggests that the product will fail but when pushed through by anentrepreneur proves to be a commercial success…
Abstract
Considers cases of new product launches where market analysis suggests that the product will fail but when pushed through by an entrepreneur proves to be a commercial success. Describes the process of product introduction to fill unrecognized needs as Ready‐Fire‐Aim, since the market can only be appreciated after the launch. Concludes that product champions must be in a corporate culture that allows risk, and should be prepared to risk their job on a risky venture.
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Most fairy tale narratives have a hero, a damsel in distress and the ever-present opposing villain. The villains, or antagonists, share several commonalities across the various…
Abstract
Most fairy tale narratives have a hero, a damsel in distress and the ever-present opposing villain. The villains, or antagonists, share several commonalities across the various narratives as well as one over-arching trait of evil. However, as television viewers have become more intuitive, and demand for more sophisticated narratives have increased, contemporary portrayals of villains, as in the television series Once Upon a Time (Horowitz & Kitsis, 2011–2018), have shifted away from presenting villains as one-dimensional and restricted characters.
Instead, the construct of evil is depicted as a multifaceted and evolutionary trait of the character. Whereas previously evil was the fundamental core of the character it is now presented as a fluid concept. This chapter investigates how the construct of evil, and therefore the villain, has been redefined through a contemporary television narrative.
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We provide a new characterization of the equality of two positive-definite matrices A and B, and we use this to propose several new computationally convenient statistical tests…
Abstract
We provide a new characterization of the equality of two positive-definite matrices A and B, and we use this to propose several new computationally convenient statistical tests for the equality of two unknown positive-definite matrices. Our primary focus is on testing the information matrix equality (e.g. White, 1982, 1994). We characterize the asymptotic behavior of our new trace-determinant information matrix test statistics under the null and the alternative and investigate their finite-sample performance for a variety of models: linear regression, exponential duration, probit, and Tobit. The parametric bootstrap suggested by Horowitz (1994) delivers critical values that provide admirable level behavior, even in samples as small as n = 50. Our new tests often have better power than the parametric-bootstrap version of the traditional IMT; when they do not, they nevertheless perform respectably.
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Under the “dual carbon” framework, the article explores the equilibrium points among the government, agricultural enterprises and village committees, and uses sensitivity analysis…
Abstract
Purpose
Under the “dual carbon” framework, the article explores the equilibrium points among the government, agricultural enterprises and village committees, and uses sensitivity analysis to reveal the dynamic factors affecting these stakeholders, thereby proposing methods to enhance agricultural disaster resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
The article uses MATLAB to construct a game model for the three parties with interests: agribusiness, government and village council. It examines the stability of strategies among these entities. Through graphical simulation, the paper analyzes the sensitivity of agricultural enterprises carbon emissions and village committees’ rent-seeking behaviors in the decision-making process, focusing on significant factors such as government carbon tax and regulatory policies.
Findings
A single government reward and punishment mechanism is insufficient to influence the strategic choices of enterprises and village committees. The cost of rent-seeking does not affect the strategic choices of enterprises and village committees. A key factor influencing whether the village committee engages in rent-seeking is the level of labor income of the village committee as an “intermediary”.
Originality/value
This paper focuses on the dynamic game between three stakeholders (the government, agricultural enterprises and village committees), seeking dynamic equilibrium and conducting sensitivity analysis through visualization to provide the government with optimal policy recommendations.
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Nataliia Krasnokutska, Amparo Merino, Carmen Escudero Guirado and Estela M. Díaz-Carmona
This paper examines open innovation (OI) based on sustainability principles within the agri-food sector. The study aims to understand the interplay between different actors and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines open innovation (OI) based on sustainability principles within the agri-food sector. The study aims to understand the interplay between different actors and develop a typology of their roles in fostering sustainability. Three key research questions guided our inquiry: “WHY” sustainability is driving the OI initiatives as presented by companies, “WHO” participates in OI interactions and “HOW” these interactions are structured among diverse agri-food actors.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a theoretical prism encompassing OI modes, types, practices, sustainability dimensions and multilevel perspectives, we analyzed 78 agri-food sustainable OI initiatives, as described by the companies, to identify and explain why, who and how they engage in OI to drive sustainability shifts.
Findings
The results reveal typical patterns of transaction and cooperation between actors and confirm the collaborative nature of sustainable OI in the agri-food sector when actors must transcend traditional economic boundaries and reshape both the internal performance culture and the broader industrial or community mindset. The paper also conceptualizes the roles of actors in co-creating value in the context of sustainable food transitions.
Originality/value
This study brings the theoretical lenses of OI to conceptualize the collaborative nature of sustainability transitions in the agri-food system. The focus on sustainability transitions is dominantly placed on innovators at the niche level, while incumbents tend to be depicted as protecting the status quo. Thus, the focus on the collaborative interplay among different actors engaged in OI for sustainability contributes to offering a more nuanced view of innovation in sustainability transitions. In turn, the development of a typology of actors, motivations and configurations of OI from sustainability transition perspectives contributes to strengthening the conceptualization of sustainable value co-creation in the OI realm.
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Bélyse Mupfasoni, Aad Kessler, Thomas Lans and Rama Lionel Ngenzebuke
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of specific internal states (i.e. the set of sustainable values and motivations) that underlie group formation and joint business…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of specific internal states (i.e. the set of sustainable values and motivations) that underlie group formation and joint business idea identification of farmer groups in the context of Burundi.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative and qualitative data were combined in this study. Quantitative data were analyzed using basic statistics. Qualitative data were collected in focus group discussions with farmer groups.
Findings
Findings revealed that groups are not just formed on the basis of homophily (same level of internal states) but also on “compensation” and “committed leadership.” Moreover, prior sustainable behavior of members influences sustainability of new group business ideas and the nature (e.g. focus on farming) of that business idea.
Research limitations/implications
As this study was done at an early stage of group formation and does not include group dynamics over a longer period of time, further monitoring of the groups is needed to examine if the observed motivation persists.
Originality/value
Although there is a vast amount of literature on entrepreneurial and top management teams, literature on the (early) mechanisms of entrepreneurial group formation in an emerging economy and rural context is relatively scarce.