Jasmin Mahadevan, Katharina Kilian-Yasin, Iuliana Ancuţa Ilie and Franziska Müller
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the dangers of Orientalist framing. Orientalism (Said, 1979/2003) shows how “the West” actually creates “the Orient” as an inferior…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the dangers of Orientalist framing. Orientalism (Said, 1979/2003) shows how “the West” actually creates “the Orient” as an inferior opposite to affirm itself, for instance by using imaginative geographical frames such as “East” and “West” (Said, 1993).
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative interviews were conducted with the members of a German-Tunisian project team in research engineering. The interview purpose was to let individuals reflect upon their experiences of difference and to find out whether these experiences are preframed by imaginative geographical categories.
Findings
Tunisian researchers were subjected to the dominant imaginative geographical frame “the Arab world.” This frame involves ascribed religiousness, gender stereotyping and ascriptions of backwardness.
Research limitations/implications
Research needs to investigate Orientalist thought and imaginative geographies in specific organizational and interpersonal interactions lest they overshadow managerial theory and practice.
Practical implications
Practitioners need to challenge dominant frames and Orientalist thought in their own practice and organizational surroundings to devise a truly inclusive managerial practice, for instance, regarding Muslim minorities.
Social implications
In times of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment in “the West,” this paper highlights the frames from which such sentiments might originate, and the need to reflect upon them.
Originality/value
The theoretical value lies in introducing a critical framing approach and the concept of imaginative geographies to perceived differences at work. For practice, it highlights how certain individuals are constructed as “Muslim others” and subjected to ascriptions of negative difference. By this mechanism, their inclusion is obstructed.
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Abstract
Research methodology
None.
Case overview/synopsis
The case study follows Ann’s journey towards entrepreneurship, focusing on the challenges she faced and how early educational interventions influenced her life decisions. Despite numerous obstacles, Ann’s perseverance, bolstered by her family’s support and her passion, led to her successful reintegration into academia and the launch of an entrepreneurial venture in the UK. Her story highlights the dilemma of balancing educational attainment with entrepreneurial aspirations, especially for at-risk students. Ann’s experience prompts critical discussions about the intersection of education and entrepreneurship, the importance of experiential learning and the role of mentorship in realizing business ideas. The nurturing environment of her business school, through guest lectures and real-world success stories, played a significant role in shaping her academic and professional outlook. This case raises essential questions about the role of higher education in fostering entrepreneurial skills and integrating experiential learning within academic curricula. Ann’s journey exemplifies the power of resilience and determination in overcoming systemic and entrepreneurial challenges, particularly for women facing similar struggles. Her story illuminates the multifaceted process of turning a personal experience into an entrepreneurial opportunity, emphasizing the critical role of mentorship and support networks in developing a viable business idea.
Complexity academic level
This case study is best suited to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in management and business-related courses that focus on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education. The case study is relevant in various business disciplines as it informs students of the process and challenges related to business start-ups and acquiring related capabilities. Instructors are encouraged to have students read the extensive reference list provided at the end to broaden their understanding and knowledge of entrepreneurship, including its processes, context and practices.
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Louis Chih-hung Liu, Chiehwen Ed Hsu and Mustafa Z. Younis
Wagner’s Law and Keynesian’s theory are two widely accepted yet contrasting propositions. This paper employs Granger causality test on US federal government data, from 1947 to…
Abstract
Wagner’s Law and Keynesian’s theory are two widely accepted yet contrasting propositions. This paper employs Granger causality test on US federal government data, from 1947 to 2002. We used aggregate data as well as disaggregate data with the sub-categories of five federal expenditures, including: national defense, human resources expenditure, physical resources expenditure, net interest payment, and other expenditure. The results of our study suggest that total federal government expenditure is more consistent with Keynesian’s theory while there are diversified causal relationships among five sub-category of federal expenditure. The policy recommendation generated from this paper is that the US federal government should invest more public resources in human resources expenditure assuming that economic growth is the utmost important item on the government agenda.
Saumyaranjan Sahoo and Lokesh Vijayvargy
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of five dimensions of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices (i.e. internal environmental management, green purchasing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of five dimensions of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices (i.e. internal environmental management, green purchasing, cooperation with customers, eco-design, and investment recovery) on three dimensions of organizational performance (i.e. environmental, economic and operational performance).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected based on a cross-sectional survey of managers of 160 manufacturing firms in India. Structural equation modelling was used to test the influence of GSCM practices on each of the organizational performance outcomes.
Findings
Except for internal environmental management and green purchasing, all other GSCM dimensions are found to significantly impact at least one of the performance dimensions, either directly or indirectly. The results highlight that investment recovery practice is a key predictor of environmental performance, whereas eco-design is a key predictor of operational performance. The structural equation modeling result also suggests that GSCM do not directly affect economic performance, but can improve it indirectly.
Research limitations/implications
Since data was collected from managers of manufacturing firms on the basis of their subjective evaluations, future research studies should employ objective performance indicators for analysis. Also, the study did not consider some dimensions of GSCM practices, which can be included in future studies.
Practical implications
Manufacturing firms should implement GSCM practices not just because of the pressure from regulatory bodies but also to elevate their environmental, operational and economic performance. The proposed model in this paper suggests practitioners which GSCM factors are driving these performance changes and supports the building of a roadmap for GSCM implementation in their organization.
Originality/value
Manufacturing firms from four different operating sectors, namely automotive, electrical and electronics, process and machinery sectors are the respondents. The originality of the paper lies in testing the influence of GSCM practices on organizational performance in a novel context, where most GSCM initiatives fail for one reason or another. Furthermore, the assessment of the interaction between five constructs of GSCM practices and three constructs of organizational performance in the Indian manufacturing context offers unique conceptual contribution to the researches in the GSCM field.
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Heba Mohamed Adel and Raghda Abulsaoud Ahmed Younis
To empirically study the direct and mediating relationships between blockchain technology adoption strategy (BCTAS), electronic supply chain management diffusion (eSCMD)…
Abstract
Purpose
To empirically study the direct and mediating relationships between blockchain technology adoption strategy (BCTAS), electronic supply chain management diffusion (eSCMD), entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and human resources information system (HRIS) in Egyptian banks. This paper aims to connect the dots and show the relationships linking these related constructs after the emergence of this breakthrough blockchain technology.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have undertaken a thematic review of relevant multidisciplinary business management literature and then developed a conceptual model. This model was examined through adopting a mixed-methods approach, through which 300 quantitative questionnaires were filled by information technology (IT) staff at 12 banks in Egypt utilising a snowball sample. Besides, 20 qualitative interviews were carried out with international and Egyptian blockchain experts for exploratory and explanatory purposes. The suggested hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling.
Findings
The results revealed that EO affects positively and significantly BCTAS and HRIS. BCTAS affects positively and significantly both HRIS and eSCMD. Concerning the linkage between external/supply chain and internal/organisational information diffusion, HRIS has a positive and significant effect on eSCMD. The direct EO–eSCMD relationship is not supported. Yet, indirectly, BCTAS mediates significantly EO–eSCMD and EO–HRIS relationships. Further, HRIS mediates significantly the indirect BCTAS–eSCMD relationship.
Practical implications
The findings of this research shed light on the benefits and challenges of adopting BCTAS within emerging markets in general and Egyptian banking in specific, which can support an effective and efficient decision-making process undertaken by strategic and functional banking managers with EO in similar emerging economies.
Originality/value
Conceptually and empirically, it is the first article that investigated direct and mediating EO–BCTAS–HRIS–eSCMD relationships in a promising banking industry of an emerging market. It solved an interdisciplinary research puzzle by piecing together the relevant contemporary literature on production, operations and SC management, entrepreneurship, HR management and strategic technology adoption.
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Mohamed El Mokadem and Magdy Khalaf
The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between green supply chain management and sustainability performance in a manufacturing context.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between green supply chain management and sustainability performance in a manufacturing context.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey approach was adopted to collect data from 163 manufacturing organizations to test the research hypotheses. A structural equation modeling (SEM) using the technique of path analysis with bootstrapping is used to test the hypothesized relationships.
Findings
The research findings provide supporting evidence for the importance of implementing green supply chain management (GSCM) as a holistic system that includes internal and external green practices. Besides, the findings highlight the direct effect of GSCM on environmental, social and operational performance. Finally, the findings provide supporting evidence that GSCM could only be translated into better economic returns through the improvement of environmental and operational performance.
Research limitations/implications
The nature of the surveyed sample and the use of a single informant might limit the ability to generalize the research findings outside the research context.
Practical implications
The research findings help managers understand that GSCM must be implemented as a holistic system and that the real benefits of its implementation extend beyond the mere environmental benefits to include operational, social as well as economic benefits.
Originality/value
The paper’s contribution to knowledge is twofold. First, the study identifies how GSCM is conceptualized and how its effect is translated into improved economic performance. Second, the research explains the contradicting findings in previous studies regarding the relationship between GSCM and economic performance.
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Kei Nomaguchi and Marshal Neal Fettro
Past studies suggest that full-time maternal employment may be negatively related to children’s cognitive development. Most studies measure maternal employment at one time point…
Abstract
Past studies suggest that full-time maternal employment may be negatively related to children’s cognitive development. Most studies measure maternal employment at one time point, while mothers’ work hours may not be stable during early childrearing years. Using data from the 2001 Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort (N ≈ 6,500), the authors examine stability in mothers’ work hours across four waves when children are 9 and 24 months old, in preschool, and in kindergarten, mothers’ background characteristics associated to it, and its link to child cognitive development. Results show that the majority of mothers change work hours across the four waves. Analysis using multinomial logistic regression models suggests that mothers’ older age, fewer children, and higher household income are related to working full time at all four waves compared to varying work hours across the waves; more children and less than high school completion are related to staying home at all four waves; and mothers’ older age, being White, no change in partnership status, and holding a college degree are related to working part time at all four waves. Compared to mothers’ changing work hours, mothers’ stable work hours, full time or part time, at all four waves is related to children’s better reading, math, and cognitive scores in kindergarten, whereas mothers’ staying home at all four waves is negatively related to these scores. These associations disappear when background characteristics are controlled for in ordinary least squares regression models. These findings underscore the role of background characteristics in shaping both mothers’ stable employment and children’s cognitive development.
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Talib Younis, S.A.M. Ibrahim and M.A. McLean
The first of a two‐part article (Part II to be published in IJPSM, Vol. 5 No. 2) which gives the historical background to thedevelopment of modern Turkey with particular reference…
Abstract
The first of a two‐part article (Part II to be published in IJPSM, Vol. 5 No. 2) which gives the historical background to the development of modern Turkey with particular reference to the inherited bureaucratic structure of the Ottoman Empire and the reforms undertaken by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first president of Turkey. Reviews the attempts made by successive Turkish governments to initiate and implement administrative reform. Discusses the barriers to the achievement of these objectives and draws conclusions as to the relative success or failure of the endeavours.
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Said Elbanna, Shatha M. Obeidat, Heba Younis and Tamer H. Elsharnouby
This study aimed to contribute to the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) by providing a critical review of existing scholarly research and a thematic analysis of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to contribute to the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) by providing a critical review of existing scholarly research and a thematic analysis of the workforce nationalization domain in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. To strengthen the literature on this topic, it seeks to identify key gaps and areas for further exploration.
Design/methodology/approach
A two-step systematic research methodology (qualitative and quantitative) and a thematic analysis of empirical and theoretical studies were used in this study. The quantitative review was conducted using a predesigned coding framework.
Findings
The study identified and discussed four perspectives of workforce nationalization in the GCC countries. These were (1) the conceptualization of workforce nationalization; (2) the role of institutional policies in achieving it; (3) the practices and outcomes of nationalization efforts and (4) the impact of gender and women in the nationalization process.
Research limitations/implications
This study has several limitations, which the authors have addressed by proposing several future research avenues. For example, the reviewed studies are skewed toward certain countries (e.g. UAE and Saudi Arabia), which limits the generalizability of their findings.
Practical implications
A more comprehensive definition of nationalization, development of qualitative and quantitative measures to enhance HRM practices and outcomes, and the identification of alternative approaches to improve the employment of locals are emphasized as needs. Additionally, revised measures and mechanisms to rectify negative perceptions about entitlement and the revision of policies to integrate females in the national labor force are suggested.
Originality/value
Workforce nationalization initiatives in the GCC region offer a unique and rich research phenomenon replete with managerial, organizational, economic and political dilemmas. The investigation of this phenomenon would profoundly enlighten employers, policymakers and scholars.
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Talib Younis, S.A.M. Ibrahim and M.A. McLean
The second of a two‐part article (Part I published in IJPSM, Vol. 5 No.1) which continues the historical overview from 1949 whenthe new democratic government instigated…
Abstract
The second of a two‐part article (Part I published in IJPSM , Vol. 5 No.1) which continues the historical overview from 1949 when the new democratic government instigated administrative reforms based on initiatives from foreign research. In the period after the Second World War attempts at reform were hindered by increased number of Civil Servants and economic problems, particularly inflation and a fall in the standard of living. Traces the difficulties which emerged between the bureaucracy and successive governments as a direct result of their failure to appreciate the role of the bureaucracy. The 1960 revolution led to the establishment of three bodies with specific tasks to change the structure of the economic and administrative systems and to implement five‐year plans, but which met with limited success. Discusses the ensuing excessive review and evaluation in every sphere of state activity which has continued to date.