Paula Chimenti, Lúcia B. Oliveira, Roberta Dias Campos and André Luís A. da Fonseca
The case study will encourage reflection on the challenges that organisations face in attracting, engaging and retaining knowledge workers that are critical to their performance…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
The case study will encourage reflection on the challenges that organisations face in attracting, engaging and retaining knowledge workers that are critical to their performance and growth. It is set in the context of innovative, high-tech organisations whose success is heavily dependent on the performance of information technology (IT) professionals, a specialised and heavily demanded workforce.
Case overview/synopsis
The case study depicts the struggle of Manoel Almeida, Descomplica’s chief technology officer, to reverse the scenario of demotivation and high turnover among IT employees and to attract new talent. The case study addresses the themes of knowledge worker attraction, engagement and retention, with a focus on IT professionals.
Complexity academic level
This case study is designed for undergraduate and graduate education programmes/courses.
Supplementary material
Teaching notes are available for educators only.
Subject code
CSS 7: Management science.
Details
Keywords
Thaysa Nascimento, Maribel Carvalho Suarez and Roberta Dias Campos
As a result of the advancement of the online environment, several methodological proposals emerged to establish procedures for digital qualitative research. While the various…
Abstract
Purpose
As a result of the advancement of the online environment, several methodological proposals emerged to establish procedures for digital qualitative research. While the various online ethnography methods overlap, they are not equivalent in terms of their theoretical bases, procedures and goals. The purpose of this article is to add clarity to their main differences, depicting specificities, potentialities and limitations of each method.
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual article results from an integrative literature review that brought together studies that proposed, debated or used qualitative research methods in the digital environment. The research focused on the primary indexed journals publishing cultural studies in the past 20 years.
Findings
The literature review highlights four methods – virtual ethnography, digital ethnography, netnography and the post-application programming interface ethnography. The integrative literature review adds clarity depicting the main premises and procedures of each method. The present analysis positions the different methods considering two dimensions: the focus on the boundaries of the group/culture investigated, and the focus on the platform agency, affordances and specific dynamics.
Originality/value
The article proposes a comparative framework outlining points of convergence and divergence to create a reference for researchers on topics of significance while designing and conducting a research study in a digital environment. This conceptual organization highlights and supports qualitative researchers on their methodological challenges.
Details
Keywords
Paula Castro Pires de Souza Chimenti, Marco Aurelio de Souza Rodrigues, Marcelo Guedes Carneiro and Roberta Dias Campos
Through a literature review, a gap has been identified regarding the role of competition as a driver of social network (SN) usage. This study aims to design to address this gap…
Abstract
Purpose
Through a literature review, a gap has been identified regarding the role of competition as a driver of social network (SN) usage. This study aims to design to address this gap, seeking motivators for SN usage based on how SN consumption may be related to users’ experience of competition. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of competition in social media usage.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used an exploratory qualitative approach, conducting a set of focus groups with young social media users. Data was analyzed with software.
Findings
Two new drivers for SN use are proposed, namely, competition and collective narrative.
Research limitations/implications
This is an exploratory study, and it does not seek to generalize results or quantify causal relationships among variables.
Practical implications
This paper offers SN managers a deeper understanding of key growth drivers for these media.
Social implications
This research can help society understand and debate the impacts of SNs on users’ lives, providing insights into drivers of excessive usage.
Originality/value
This paper proposes the following two SN usage drivers yet to be described in the literature: competition and collective narrative.
Details
Keywords
Maribel Suarez and Russell Belk
The research analyzes the presence of two global brands – Fiat and International Federation of Association Football – in Brazilian demonstrations in conjunction with the 2014…
Abstract
Purpose
The research analyzes the presence of two global brands – Fiat and International Federation of Association Football – in Brazilian demonstrations in conjunction with the 2014 World Cup. The purpose of this paper is to extend the brand cultural resonance construct and highlights its boundary-straddling nature. The analysis reveals the dynamics of brand meanings established including why some brands have their meanings enriched through collective appropriation, while others become vessels of negative content and targets of anti-consumption movements.
Design/methodology/approach
A multimethod approach, which included observation, analysis of cultural texts and in-depth interviews with 21 demonstrators, was adopted for the study.
Findings
The study extends the construct of brand cultural resonance proposing an additional facet, named Institutional Resonance. This dimension relates to the meanings that arise from a brand’s institutional role and interactions with other social institutions, like governments, the economy, religious, and educational systems. Institutional Resonance occurs when a certain brand becomes the archetypal representation of a social institution. This study also presents two forms of brand cultural resonance: arrows or targets. As arrows, brands lend their symbolic resources to the construction of protesters’ messages helping them to communicate their ideas. As targets, brands become social enemies and represent negative poles of social contradictions.
Originality/value
This study investigates consumer appropriation of marketers’ actions. The research depicts Institutional Resonance as an interactive and acute phenomenon which promotes a social negotiation on a playing field where different agents forge brand meanings and reputations.
Details
Keywords
Roberta Pellegrino, Barbara Gaudenzi and Abroon Qazi
This paper aims to capture the complex interdependences between supply chain disruptions (SCDs), SC risk mitigation strategies and firm performance in the context of disruptive…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to capture the complex interdependences between supply chain disruptions (SCDs), SC risk mitigation strategies and firm performance in the context of disruptive events to enhance resilience for medium-sized and large firms coping with complex supply chain networks. The roles of digitalization, insurance and government support have also been addressed as potential strategies to counteract the impacts of disruptions on supply chains.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on an empirical investigation in an FMCG company – using a hybrid causal mapping technique based on the frameworks of interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Bayesian networks (BN) – of 11 levels of relationships between SCDs (in supply, production, logistics, demand and finance), SC risk mitigation strategies (flexibility, efficiency, agility and responsiveness), insurance, government support, information and knowledge sharing, digitalization and finally the key firm performance measures (continuity, quality and financial performance).
Findings
The results of the empirical investigation reveal and describe: (1) the nature and probabilistic quantification of the lower-level relationships among the four SCDs, among the mitigation strategies and the three firm performance measures; (2) the nature and probabilistic quantification of the higher-level relationships among the impacts of SCDs, SC risk mitigation strategies and firm performance and (3) how to model and quantify the complex interdependences in single firms and their supply chains.
Originality/value
Our results can support managers in developing more effective decision-making models to assess and manage unfavorable events and cascade effects among different functions and processes in the context of risks and disruptions.
Details
Keywords
Patrizia Gazzola, Daniele Grechi, Iuliia Iliashenko and Roberta Pezzetti
This study investigates the evolution of digital transformation research trends in the context of the fashion industry. The paper analyzes and addresses the impact of digital…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the evolution of digital transformation research trends in the context of the fashion industry. The paper analyzes and addresses the impact of digital innovations on three areas of the industry: products, processes and business models.
Design/methodology/approach
The study examined 277 peer-reviewed articles using various bibliometric tools and indicators, aiming to identify and organize the contributions of the most influential works. Additionally, a critical review of the ten most cited papers in the field was carried out.
Findings
The study shows that digitalization is not merely a technological trend; rather, it is a transformative force reshaping the fashion industry. It fosters collaboration, innovation and sustainability, creating an ecosystem where businesses can thrive by aligning with circular principles and leveraging digital tools.
Research limitations/implications
The paper reveals a gap in the scientific systematization and exploration of the variety of applications of digital tools in the fashion industry. The study’s limitations include the keywords chosen for the research and the period of the research from 1998 to 2023.
Originality/value
The paper pursues to contribute to the current discussion on sustainable practices within the fashion industry, while also setting the foundation for future progress in digital innovation that supports the increasing need for sustainable and personalized products.
Details
Keywords
Flávio Henrique De Oliveira Costa, Andrea Lago Da Silva, Carla Roberta Pereira, Susana Carla Farias Pereira and Fernando José Gómez Paredes
The purpose of this paper is to identify how the relationship between inbound logistics (IL) activities and elements of resilience (EoR) can contribute to organisational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify how the relationship between inbound logistics (IL) activities and elements of resilience (EoR) can contribute to organisational resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
Two in-depth case-based studies were conducted in the dairy industry. After identifying EoR and IL activities through a systematic literature review, relationships among them have been empirically discussed in six groups (emerged content analysis results): supplier and response capability; transportation; security; quick response to disruption; logistics management; trust and knowledge.
Findings
A framework was developed describing the contribution of these six groups to organisational resilience by highlighting and discussing three aspects: rigidity of the hierarchy, type of relationship and geographical dispersion. These aspects emerged from the process of content analysis and are related to the companies’ characteristics.
Practical implications
The proposed framework can assist managers to decide which group of EoR and IL activities they should prioritise, depending on the company’s characteristics and needs.
Originality/value
Although some studies have discussed the IL contribution to generating resilience in companies, none of them have explored in detail the relationship between EoR and IL activities, and their contribution to organisational resilience. The proposed framework shows the contribution of the EoR to three different organisational aspects.
Details
Keywords
Martin Tanco, Matias Escuder, Gerardo Heckmann, Daniel Jurburg and Josue Velazquez
For the past 20 years, Latin American countries have gone from being a low-cost region to significant players in the world economy, with five of its countries ranked among the…
Abstract
Purpose
For the past 20 years, Latin American countries have gone from being a low-cost region to significant players in the world economy, with five of its countries ranked among the world’s 50th largest by gross domestic product. This paper aims to study the contribution of Latin American researchers in the field of supply chain management (SCM) to aid an understanding of the Latin American impact within global supply chains (SCs).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors present a study which includes a bibliometric analysis of the papers authored by Latin American researchers in the SCM field and which were exclusively published in journals included in the Journal Citation Reports. In addition, the authors conducted a survey to Latin American researchers and consultants to gain greater understanding of the main difficulties, which in their opinion, have negatively affected the SCM area in Latin America within the past five years, and identify possible misalignment between Latin American research and the challenges for SC in the region.
Findings
The results show that Latin American research on SCM in the past nine years is not significant for the field considering the number of papers, citations and the papers published in top journals. Another interesting finding is the lack of collaboration among researchers from different Latin American countries, as well as with corporate. Finally, survey results reveal significant differences regarding the main difficulties each country perceived as relevant.
Practical implications
Comparing results from both analyses, relevant misalignments stand out between published research and the main difficulties detected. These suggest a challenging opportunity for Latin America, emphasizing the need to increase research contribution of the scientific community, through collaboration and alignment toward overcoming the most troublesome difficulties for Latin America. Therefore, the authors suggest future regional research directions which could also help global companies to tackle the challenges faced and optimize performance of their Latin American SCs.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous research on the quality and impact of Latin American research in SCM has been conducted. Also, misalignments between researchers and practitioners in the region, which allow identifying weaknesses of Latin American SCs, have not been studied before.